GATE no longer completely free; Government announces sweeping changeshttp://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/gate-no-longer-completely-free-government-announces-sweeping-changesThe Cabinet has announced sweeping changes to the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme that no longer sees the Government offering 100% financing for tertiary education from 2017.
The changes, announced by Education Minister Anthony Garcia, do not affect students who are already enrolled in programmes or who have registered to begin programmes this year.
The long anticipated changes were announced at a media briefing that followed a special Cabinet meeting today.
The Minister said that effective August 2016, students who are at presently enrolled at various programmes will continue to receive funding for their entire programmes.
He added that students registered to begin programmes in 2016 will also be fully funded for the 2016-2017 academic year.
However, from the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year, a Means Test will be used to determine how much funding the government will offer in the GATE programme.
The Minister says that following the Means Test, students from households with incomes below $10,000, will be eligible for 100% funding.
Where the household income is above $10,000 students will have to pay 25% of the course fees, with the Government providing the other 75%.
Where the household income is above $20,000, students will have to pay 50% of the fees.
The Minister added that effective August 2017, funding for post-graduate degrees will be available to students whose programmes are "in alignment with the country's development needs".
The Minister did not detail what those programmes are.
Effective August 2017, students enrolled at medical programmes outside of the University of the West Indies will be funded at the level of the funding given to the University of the West Indies (UWI) students.
Effective August 2016, the government will discontinue funding of new students in the medical programme at the St Georges University in Grenada.
He said that effective August 2016, students will only be funded for one undergraduate programme and one post-graduate programme.
Also, effect August 2016, the loan ceiling for students at local institutions will be raised to $35,000 annually, with the $75,000 for regional students remaining.
Effective August 2016, persons over the age of 50 years, will no longer eligible for GATE funding but the Minister says that "continuing students" over the age of 50 will be granted funding to complete their programmes.
The Minister says the government will seek to offer education savings bonds and will announce arrangements and details soon.
He says the government will also seek to establish a National Education Savings Fund and will encourage the private sector, via tax incentives, to make fund contributions for children of employees.
The government will also offer fiscal incentives to encourage insurance companies and credit unions to invest in educational savings products, the Minister said.
"I have been advised that these initiatives would allow us to save, in the first year, $100 million and subsequent years, $200 million until we reach our target of $500 million on spending on the GATE programme," Minister Garcia said.
He added, "This government has given a commitment that it will retain GATE. It will ensure GATE is relevant, easily accessible and available to all those who need it," he said.
