SLB Supporting Students Impacted by Hurricane Melissa

The Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) is providing support for students enrolled in tertiary institutions and customers across the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James and Trelawny, which were most severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Addressing Wednesday’s (December 3) Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday (December 3), SLB Executive Director, Nickeisha Walsh, announced that grants valued at $60,000 each will be provided to beneficiaries attending institutions in the parishes.

Some 1,948 students are expected to benefit from the initiative.

In addition, the 4,458 repayment customers who reside in the aforementioned parishes, will have their loan payments deferred for three months – November 2025 to January 2026.

Miss Walsh noted that support will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for beneficiaries who reside outside of these parishes but were adversely impacted by the hurricane.

“We’re ascertaining funds from our account to ensure that we can support them. If you do not fall into the five parishes, you can contact the SLB and we will offer you one of those initiatives,” she explained.

Ms. Walsh added that the SLB has been deploying relief support through corporate social responsibility activities.

“We have gone into some institutions, some schools, offering care packages and also giving donations to tertiary schools for their rebuilding efforts,” she said.