Are Students Being Left in the Dark Over Government Grants?

Two students studying at universities say delays in government financial assistance have left them struggling to pay tuition, taking out loans and, in one case, postponing plans for further studies.

The students, who choose to remain anonymous over fears of retaliation, told News Five that repeated attempts to obtain updates from the Ministry of Education’s Financial Aid Department have often gone unanswered, leaving them uncertain about when their grants will be disbursed.

One student said they have been waiting for an update on an application to extend their financial assistance.

“When they finally answered me, like maybe like five weeks later of radio silence, they’re like, oh, it’s just being sent to the Treasury for approval. That was three weeks ago,” the student said.

The student said the delays have made it difficult to keep up with tuition payments and could force them to take out a loan to complete their studies.

A second student, who graduated this year, said delayed and missed disbursements affected their own academic journey. “Because I didn’t receive anything for that semester, I had to drop out temporarily from university.”

The graduate said they eventually returned to complete their studies but received no grant assistance during their final semester, forcing them to take out a $14,000 loan to cover part of their tuition.

Despite graduating, the student said they still owe tuition fees and have not received their diploma because outstanding costs remain unpaid. “I still have unpaid tuition expenses. So, I have to delay my plan to study for my master’s degree.”

The graduate also said subsequent attempts to obtain assistance were met with more delays and little to no communication.