Nearly 200 students have this year benefited from a $300,000 Government grant to Bermuda College, the Minister of Education announced this morning.

Diallo Rabian said that 198 awards were offered to students at the school during the 2018-19 academic year.

Mr Rabain said that 132 student received grants in the autumn semester, with 66 students given academic grants this term.

He added that the awards ranged from $233 to $8,600 with the larger amounts “awarded to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree programme offered in partnership with Mount Saint Vincent University and students enrolled in the teacher certification programme offered by the University of West Indies”.

The update came during a ministerial statement to MPs made in the House of Assembly.

Mr Rabain said that during the 2017-18 school year 313 students had been financially assisted by the Government.

He added: “This current academic year 198 students received funding, giving a total of 511 awards granted to students who ordinarily would not have had the monies to support their tertiary education at Bermuda College.

“These students included those who did not meet the Bermuda College’s Financial Aid criteria but demonstrated a need for financial support, particularity non-traditional students enrolled in the Professional and Career Education division, of which many work a job during the day and attend classes in the evening.

“The funding also supported students who received limited funding through Bermuda College’s Financial Aid package — thus providing financial aid more reflective of the student’s actual need.”

Mr Rabain said the Government was committed seeing more Bermudians earn postsecondary educational qualifications.

He added that the Government “will continue to lead the way in demonstrating the value of achieving a higher level education to further lend to the economic landscape of this country”.

Curtis Dickinson, the Minister of Finance, announced last week that the $300,000 grant will continue in 2019-20.

He added in his Budget Statement that the college would continue to receive the grant “to ensure that no student is prohibited from attending Bermuda College as a result of limited household incomes”.

The grant was launched in 2017.

• To read Diallo Rabain’s statement, click on the PDF under “Related Media”