UG student loan debt write-off first on agenda for reintroduction of free university education

Last Updated on Thursday, 4 January 2024, 17:36 by Denis Chabrol

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday announced that government would first be writing off some student loans as the first step towards the reintroduction of free university education for the first time in 30 years.

He restated that government would phase in free university education for students who are currently paying tuition fees.

While government has not decided whether overseas-based Guyanese should have their student loans written off, Mr Jagdeo was certain those still living here should get the debt write-off. “If you still live in Guyana, then people should benefit from it because they’re serving our country and they’re working here etc.,” he said.

Mr Jagdeo said government was putting in place a fair system to forgive the student loan debts. “We are trying to ensure that the write-offs for the debt is done in a manner that is clear, consistent, the rules are established and evenly applied to everyone” he said

According to the Vice President government was “effectively doing free education” from now because government was planning to write off what students have to pay.

The University of Guyana’s introduction of tuition fees was based on World Bank recommendation, but the People’s National Congress (PNC) Desmond Hoyte-led administration had opted not to do so before the 1992 general elections. Eventually, the fee-paying system was introduced from the 1994-1995 academic year under the People’s Progressive Party Civic administration.

While most tuition fees had been stagnated for several years at GY$127,000 per academic year, that publicly-owned institution had cried out for physical infrastructural development and increased salaries for academic and non-academic staff.

Vice President Jagdeo on Thursday questioned the PNC-Reform-led coalition of A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change’s (APNU+AFC) sincerity about scrapping tuition fees having increased it while in government from 2015 to 2020. “He talks about (late PNC Leader Forbes) Burnham and free education…But you were in government just a few years ago and you increased the fees there,” he said.

Mr Jagdeo dismissed Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton’s assertion that government was rolling out its free university education plan as a political gimmick. “We’re a political party. We made promises to the people. You can’t blame us for fulfilling our promises that we made to the electorate of this country,” he said.

Both APNU+AFC and the PPPC had promised to reintroduce free university education in the 2020 general and regional elections.