Gov't providing $2.4 billion in STEM scholarships to UTech students

 

The government is spending $2.4 billion for scholarships tenable at the University of Technology (UTech) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

 

This is being facilitated through an agreement signed by the Ministry of Finance, Students' Loan Bureau and UTech for the provision of 1,000 scholarships.

 

"I come across all the time persons who finish high school, who have several CXC subjects - six, seven subjects, five subjects, eight subjects with math and English - who are qualified to go on to tertiary level studies, but who don't matriculate because of financial reasons. I want to say the goal of the Government of Jamaica is that nobody opts out of university education because of financing," Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke declared. 

 

He said the scholarships are for 200 new students each over the five-year life of the programme.

 

The government launched its STEM Scholarship Programme last week Thursday.

 

Under the programe, full tuition scholarships will also be granted to some 1,250 new student-teachers at The Mico University College.