Stipend Boost Secured For Jamaican Scholarship Students In Cuba

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has secured an increase in the stipend provided to Jamaican scholarship students in Cuba, through the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, provided the update during Wednesday’s (June 3) Post-Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House.

She further advised that the Ministry had also advocated for the early release of the funds, to ensure that recipients could avoid additional challenges in light of current developments in Cuba.

“They are always paid on the basis of grades and because of delays that were occurring in that space due to their own technical issues at the academic institutions, we did not want [the students] to suffer undue hardship. So, we were able to get the Ministry of Finance to release the funds early in order to minimise [challenges] that could have been created,” Minister Johnson Smith explained.

She highlighted that the Ministry of Health and Wellness, together with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, has engaged the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, and the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences to assess their capacity to accommodate students in specialised areas who may wish to return to Jamaica.

The Minister noted that both institutions have indicated that they have space available and are willing to consider applications.

“Admission decisions remain the responsibility of the universities under their own accreditation and matriculation standards. We continue to advocate for them to determine innovatively and creatively some mechanism that can recognise the particularities of the current circumstances, and we look forward to hearing further from them in this regard,” Senator Johnson Smith added.

Addressing the challenges faced by students in accessing academic records, she urged them to contact the Jamaican Embassy in Cuba and share relevant details, so that the Ministry can make inquiries and, where necessary, intervene with the appropriate authorities.

Meanwhile, Senator Johnson Smith indicated that students have been advised that the Government is prepared to assist with one-way airlift from Cuba to Jamaica, subject to the availability and timing of flights.

“To date, no student has asked us for assistance with departure. We understand some of the privately funded students may have left and not notified us formally… . Therefore… we have a less-than-perfect understanding of the numbers that are present,” she stated.

Minister Johnson Smith encouraged students to notify the Ministry of their movements so that a proper count of the Jamaican student population in Cuba can be maintained.

She further advised that the Jamaican Embassy in Havana remains the immediate point of contact in emergencies, and that urgent matters may be emailed to consular@mfaft.gov.jm.