I was well aware that the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme was coming to an end sooner or later, but I honestly did not expect it to be so soon. It seems as though with the death of former prime minister Patrick Manning has also come the death of his vision for the free funding of tertiary level education which he implemented since 2004.
It is noted that the highlighted aspect that GATE students should pay one third of their tuition expenses and that tertiary level institutions should be accreditation by the Accreditation Council of T&T in order to receive GATE funding are all recommendations set forth by the task force on the GATE programme. However, there are concerns of many undergraduate tertiary level students which have risen from these recommendations and we are displeased!
Firstly, I would like to bring forth the contracts that many of us (who are not new incoming undergrad students) have signed which states that on the completion of our degrees one has to give back three years of service to their country, which is fair as I for one willingly signed this contract knowing that I would be well equipped with the skills necessary to give back to my country for their investment in me.
I would like to know if these recommendations, if implemented, would affect students who are nearing the end of their degrees in their third/fourth year and have already signed these contracts before GATE even became computerised?
Secondly, I understand that there are students who have abused GATE over the years. We have had students who are well capable of funding themselves having access to GATE and taking more years than expected to complete their degree programmes. Initially, GATE was seen by many as a free-for-all gateway to attaining tertiary level education and due to the lack of screening, specifically for those in need of tuition grants, a lot of students received GATE, but not all of them appreciated the opportunity they were afforded.
However, there are numerous hardworking students who could not have gained their degrees without the aid of GATE and being one of them I speak on behalf of tertiary level students to say that we are absolutely grateful for the opportunity which we have had over the years.
The possibility of students paying one third of their tuition leaves students overwhelmed as many have to pay for living expenses/rent, food, transportation and miscellaneous items as they are not scholarship recipients.
Tenisha Sylvester,
UWI