Govt help for TT law students in Bahamas

THE plight of Trinidadian students who are seeking Government assistance to offset living expenses in the Bahamas, where they are studying law at the Eugene Dupuch Law School, could be resolved by the end of the month. However, that will depend on whether the students request can stand up to scrutiny. Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, Colm Imbert, yesterday told Newsday that he has intervened in the matter. He has requested information from the school and will prepare a submission for Cabinet’s approval as to the extent of help needed by the students. It was reported that several students were blaming Government for not paying fees to offset living expenses.

Imbert explained that second-year law student, Marlon Moore, wrote Prime Minister Patrick Manning requesting Government’s assistance. He said the letter was passed on to him last week. Describing the matter as “complicated because tuition fees were paid twice,” Imbert said a group of four students requested from the Ministry of Community Development, assistance to pay for their tuition. But those costs had already been paid by Imbert’s ministry. He said the law school subsequently remitted the tuition fees paid by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs to the TT  Treasury.

He said the head of the ministry’s funding and grants unit had been asked to investigate the matter to determine the facts. There is limited space at the Hugh Wooding Law School, where students obtain their legal education certificate. As a result, Cabinet agreed a few years ago to sponsor 30 students at the Bahamas law school, by paying their full tuition fees. Imbert said Government is committed to paying TT$109,200 per student for the two years or TT$2.5 million for the 23 students for the two years. Imbert said an investigation will be conducted to determine the cost of living expenses, after which “we will ask students who want help to complete a means test to determine which student really needs help.” He said a proposal will then be formulated on the extent of assistance required, and it will be submitted for approval by Cabinet. Imbert expects to have the information before the end of the week, after which it will be taken to Cabinet.

The matter is expected to be resolved by the end of the month. The Attorney General’s office said the St Augustine law school cannot accommodate all the students because of limited facilities and certain regional treaty obligations. A statement from the AG’s office said prior to the introduction of GATE, Cabinet agreed to a temporary measure to assist affected students by meeting the full tuition cost for 30 students offered places at the Bahamas law school. It added that 12 students initially took up the offer, and subsequently, contrary to the Cabinet decision, four students petitioned the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs for assistance. The statement denied that Government had not met its obligations to the students.