Get the Facts – Grants for PATH Beneficiaries Pursuing Higher Education

The Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) which is the government’s flagship social protection programme, is helping to smooth the way for beneficiaries who want to pursue higher education through its Post-Secondary and Tertiary grants.

The PATH Programme is funded by the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank and is administered through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Post-Secondary Grant

This grant is a one-off incentive for students who are PATH beneficiaries and are registered in approved post-secondary educational institutions such as HEART TRUST/NTA or Community Colleges. Benefits range in value from $15,000 to $30,000 for beneficiaries re-sitting Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, sitting Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects or pursuing Associate Degree, Diploma or Certificate programmes. The benefit is paid to the Family Representative (person in whose name the benefit is paid for the student’s household). Only persons who had received at least one PATH benefit payment while in secondary school are eligible to receive this grant which must be accessed within two years of leaving secondary school.

How to Apply
• The student (in the company of an adult family member) should visit the PATH Office in his or her parish
• Present identification for the accompanying family member
• Present letter of acceptance for the applicant which should show: the beneficiary’s name and details of the length and course of study

Tertiary Grant

Tertiary bursaries are available to assist PATH beneficiaries with the cost of pursuing Bachelor’s Degree programmes in accredited tertiary institutions such as Universities and Teachers’ Colleges.

The bursaries which are valued at $100,000 each, are paid directly to participating institutions that manage the application process on behalf of PATH. The bursary may be accessed each year of study on the condition that the student maintain a 2.5 Grade Point Average for the second through to the fourth year of study. Persons whose course of study exceed four years, for example medical students, are only able to access funding up to the fourth year of study.

To apply, students should complete the relevant application form which can be obtained from the bursary department of the prospective institution, or the respective parish offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Applications close on October 31, 2019.

For additional information, contact:
Ministry of Labour & Social Security
14 National Heroes Circle
Kingston 4
Tel: 876-922-8000-13 (Social Security Division)
Fax: 876-924-9639
Email: prunit@mlss.gov.jm
Website: www.mlss.gov.jm