CHASE Awards 4,909 Scholarships Since 2003

The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, since its inception in 2003, has awarded 4,909 scholarships, valued at $829 million, to more than 2,000 early-childhood-education practitioners and leaders pursuing undergraduate and graduate degree programmes.

Focus areas include early-childhood education, special education, literacy and numeracy, curriculum development, educational leadership and educational administration, at tertiary institutions locally and overseas.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure as she opened the 2025/26 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 11).

Mrs. Williams noted that the Government has listened to practitioners who have shared the many challenges they face in securing guarantors that affect their take-up of these scholarships and grants.

“This should not be the case for individuals who serve our country’s youngest and who carry the responsibility of their holistic development. Moving forward, we have decided to remove the need for guarantors for recipients of government scholarships and grants up to $2 million cumulatively,” she state