Green light for free tertiary education

PUBLIC tertiary institutions have received documentation about Government’s free tertiary education policy as promised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education. The receipt of the documentation paves the way for the institutions to enforce the policy of free tuition for undergraduate courses. Ministry officials told Newsday that faxed letters outlining the policy and instructions on how to proceed with it were sent out last Friday to the public tertiary institutions. The ministry subsequently mailed out the said memorandum. Dr Merle Hoyte, dean of students at the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), told Newsday that the institution received the ministry’s memo and was in the process of dealing with it.

Principal at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Bhoe Tewarie, also confirmed receipt of the documentation. He said a meeting was scheduled for Friday between officials from the campus and the ministry to work out the logistics. He expressed confidence that measures will be in place in time for next week’s start of the semester. Meanwhile, a meeting has been scheduled for today between representatives of private tertiary institutions and ministry officials. They are expected to deal with issues surrounding a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) as it pertains to the new policy.

Students were in panic mode last week over the unavailability of information about the free tuition policy, especially because they were told they had to pay their fees for this semester. The measure was promised to come on stream from January 1 this year. However, Tertiary Education Minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid allayed fears during a press conference on the policy, saying there was a lot of work involved, and he assured that fees already paid would be refunded where applicable. He said free tuition will be available to citizens pursuing undergraduate programmes, including distance learning programmes at local and regional public tertiary institutions. Those citizens will also be required to sign an obligatory note to work in Trinidad and Tobago, private or public sector, for periods of one to five years depending on the cost of their free tuition.

However, those citizens pursuing post-graduate studies will have to pay half of the cost of tuition. The free tuition policy will also be extended to undergrad students at private tertiary institutions, subject to the signing of the MOU. Students pursuing accredited postgraduate programmes at approved local private tertiary institutions will be entitled to 50 percent of tuition fees up to a maximum of $10,000 per year.  And in the case of postgraduate distance learning programmes at private tertiary institutions, the existing 50 percent of tuition fees up to a maximum of $5,000 per year will remain in effect. The tax allowance of $18,000 will also be maintained for persons studying at foreign tertiary institutions. Under-performing students will be monitored, and the ministry retains the right to withhold tuition fees for those who consistently fail.