With the new changes in the Government Assisted Tuition Expenses (Gate) programme, one group is asking for some tuition fees to be repaid through voluntary work.
The proposal came from students of the Sixth Formers Association Services (SFAS), a voluntary, non-profit organisation that provides free support classes for primary and secondary school children.
The students, who have heeded the calls of volunteerism from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, have started a petition on the issue which already has 500 signatures. They want to double that figure.
The petition proposes that those who "engage in certified and acknowledged voluntary actions" can "redeem the hour(s) served as an equivalent monetary value solely as a means of compensation to the cost of their respective tertiary degree(s)."
A major change to Gate announced yesterday was that effective 2017, students whose household income falls below $10,000 would be eligible for 100 per cent funding, while students whose household income exceeds $10,000 would have to pay 25 per cent of their tuition fees. Where the household income is above $30,000, students will be required to pay 50 per cent of their tuition fees.
"We know that some students, based on these new changes, will have to pay. What we are saying, however, is apply the man hours given (as volunteer work) to their new costs. What we want to spark is some sort of National Service Programme, which will offer this privilege as part of its mandate. That way, if a student must pay 25 or 50 per cent (of tuition), then he will further be partially exempted based on how much time he has given back to his community and the country," said Kassie Seetaram, one of the seven co-ordinators of SFAS.
Seetaram said the group recently sent a letter to the Education Ministry and hopes to meet with Education Minister Anthony Garcia to discuss the idea.
Seetaram, whose background is in social work and psychology, noted that even for the students whose family falls in the 25 per cent category, it may still be difficult to meet tuition fees. He said SFAS's proposal would help off-set some costs.
Ministry of Education Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharran yesterday acknowledged the group's proposal during a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian. However, Seecharran said he had only received the letter on August 2 and could not comment before raising it with the ministry's executive.
Seecharran said the Ministry's focus was on implementing the new changes.
The Government-appointed Gate Task Force Committee compiled and submitted a 70-page report on Gate reform after months of research. The Task Force considered ways to reduce the cost of Gate to the State, and have to recommend what programmes and which institutions should qualify for any assistance.
Gate was introduced by a PNM Government in 2000. Over 200,000 people have benefited from it so far at a cost of over $5.5 billion.
About SFAS:
The group Sixth Formers Association Services, existing for 17 years, is a voluntary, non-profit organisation that provides free support classes for primary and secondary school children by using Form Six students as tutors. The organisation volunteers its services to children from Standard 1 to Form 5 who are classified as "slow learners", as well as to students who cannot afford extra lessons outside of school. The SFAS also helps new Form One students transition from primary to secondary school.
SFAS is currently hosting a vacation camp for the first time in south Trinidad at the San Fernando West Secondary School from July 18–August 11.
GATE recommendations
The list of recommendations include:
�2 Effective August 2016, students who are at present enrolled in various programmes will continue to receive funding for the entire programme.
�2 Students who are registered to begin programmes in 2016 will be funded fully for the academic year 2016/2017.
�2 Effective for the academic year 2017-2018 and beyond, a means test will be used.
�2 For the academic years 2017-2018 and beyond, students will be required to pay 25 per cent of their tuition fees as follows:
Effective August 2017, students whose household income falls below $10,000 will be eligible for 100 per cent funding, to be determined by means testing. Where the household income is above $10,000, students will be required to pay 25 per cent of their tuition fees. Where the household income is above $30,000, students will be required to pay 50 per cent of tuition fees.
�2 Effective from August 2017, funding for post graduate degrees will be available to students whose programmes are in alignment with the country's developmental needs.
�2 Effective August 2017, only institutions and programmes accredited by the Accreditation Council of T&T (ACTT) will be funded.
�2 Effective August 2017, TVET programmes for Level III and above will be funded.
�2 Effective August 2016, students should only be funded for one undergraduate and one postgraduate programme. Continuing students should be allowed to complete undergraduate programmes for which funding had previously been approved.
�2 Effective August 2016, the loan ceiling for students at local institutions will be raised to $35,000 annually, with the ceiling for students at regional institutions to remain at $75,000 annually. In the long term, Government will review its policies in respect of being the sole guarantor of loans and the subsidisation of interest.
�2 Effective August 2016, people over the age of 50 years will no longer be eligible for Gate funding. Continuing students over the age of 50 enrolled in undergraduate programmes will be granted funding to complete their programmes.
�2 Effective August 2017, students enrolled in non-medical programmes at regional campuses of UWI that are offered at the UWI, St Augustine Campus, will only be funded to the equivalent level of funding at St Augustine Campus.
�2 Effective August 2016, Government will stop funding new students in the medical programme at SGU.
�2 Government will consider additional funding including offering Education Savings Bonds.
�2 Government will establish a National Education Savings Fund. Private sector organisations will also be encouraged by tax incentives to make fund contributions on behalf of the children of their employees or to engage in other philanthropic initiatives that build the fund.
�2 Government will consider fiscal incentives to encourage insurance companies and credit unions to invest in the development of education savings products.
Valdeen Shears-Neptune