Gov’t to consider expanding SLB to cover housing for tertiary students

Finance and the Public Service Minister, Fayval Williams, has signalled a willingness to explore the possibility of having the Student Loan Bureau (SLB) cover housing costs for tertiary students locally.

The development came after Hall Chairman of the George Alleyne Hall at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dontae Minto, posed the question to Williams during the post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday.

"With regards to whether or not Student Loan (Bureau) can provide housing (loans), that is something that I've always spoken about, and now that I am in the position, that is certainly something we'll look at," the minister said.

The SLB provides tuition loans for more than 4,000 students each year, many of whom would not otherwise be able to continue their education.

Williams underscored that students at tertiary institutions require support beyond tuition, including assistance with room and board, as well as books.

She said any such addition for housing expenditure to the SLB’s portfolio would rely on students repaying the loans to ensure that others can benefit.

"Obviously, we're gonna depend on you (the students) to repay these loans so that others can have the opportunity to utilise it as well, but that (housing loans under SLB) is something that we will begin to consider," Williams stated.

The potential expansion of SLB benefits could provide a significant relief to university and college students who are struggling to cover living expenses, especially those boarding on or off their respective school campuses.

The Government announced last year that Jamaicans seeking to access tertiary-level education would no longer need to have a guarantor in order to secure a loan from the SLB.

On the way to that overall position, during his budget presentation in March of last year, then Finance Minister, Dr Nigel Clarke, reminded the House of Representatives that in his 2022-2023 Budget contribution, he announced the removal of the requirement for guarantors to be provided for applicants who are wards of the state.

He said in 2023, the Government lifted the requirement for guarantors for persons on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).