NYS and Mo-Bay Community College Sign Tuition Assistance MoU

The National Youth Service (NYS) and Montego Bay Community College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will facilitate the payment of up to $100,000 in tuition fees annually, for needy students enrolled at the tertiary institution.

The MoU, which was signed at the college recently, is expected to provide this assistance through the allocation of scholarships, which will be overseen by the Youth and Culture Ministry, under which the NYS falls.

The recipients will also be able to benefit from a 20 per cent reduction on tuition fees, which they can access through their participation in a work study programme, administered by the college.

Awardees are required to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) in order to retain their scholarships over the duration of their studies.

The programme of support, which commenced in 2013/14, has been provided to students attending a wide cross section of other tertiary institutions.

They include: the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) in Kingston; College of Agriculture, Science, and Education (CASE), Portland; Brown’s Town Community College, St. Ann; and Northern Caribbean University (NCU), which has campuses in Kingston and Manchester.

Industry, Investment, and Commerce State Minister, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, who represented Youth and Culture Minister, Hon. Lisa Hanna, as guest speaker, welcomed the initiative, citing tertiary education as an “invaluable tool” that builds character, as well as personal, professional, and national development.

Executive Director of the NYS, Denis Lawrence, said his agency was aware of the challenges experienced by many students islandwide, in paying tuition fees, and decided to see how best the organization could assist.

“(We) see the look in the eyes (and on the faces) of (many of) the young people of this country. They want to go to school…they have the ability, but simply don’t have the resources. This (scholarship provision) is an opportunity to alleviate the stress that (they) have in meeting (their) financial obligations,” he said.