THE Opposition has urged Government to remove the guarantor requirements to access funding from the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) for all students, instead of limiting it to those on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).
Julian Robinson, the Opposition spokesman on finance, made the call in his 2023/24 Budget Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Thursday, arguing that the benefit announced by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke at the start of the debate on Tuesday does not go far enough to assist those most in need.
Robinson pointed out that one of the main reasons that Jamaica has a low tertiary participation rate of 27 per cent, compared to its Caribbean Community neighbours Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, at 65 per cent, is that many citizens are unable to access tertiary education because of the high cost.
“One of the biggest impediments is the need for a g
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