The Ministry of Education and Youth is urging parents who are in need of financial assistance, to register their children early for the Government's cost-sharing programme, in order to avoid undue delays come September.

Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Ministry, Jasper Lawrence, said parents should apply for assistance now under the Secondary School Fee Assistance Programme, as applications would be processed on a "first-come, first-served basis".

Some $2 billion has been earmarked by the Ministry to assist with school fees and textbooks for both primary and secondary school students for the 2006/07 financial year.

The Secondary School Fee Assistance Programme (SSFAP) was designed to underwrite up to 50 per cent of tuition cost in 2002/03, in addition to all increases made to the fee structure since that time. All students at the secondary school level may apply for assistance under the programme.

Explaining the process, Mr. Lawrence cited an example of a school which had fees of $5,000 in the 2002/2003 academic year. This school fee, he said, would perhaps be increased to $7,500. With the school fee assistance programme, a parent would only now be required to pay $2,500, as the Government would absorb the increases that have taken place since 2003.

No need to worry

He noted, however, that parents need not be frustrated if the fees are not paid by the Government from early in the term, as once the applications are approved, the Ministry would ensure that the payments are made to the schools during the course of the term.

Persons who are interested in benefiting under the PATH programme must apply through the offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security located islandwide.

Programme guidelines

Parents/guardians of other students who would like to receive school fee assistance must complete the PATH application form for assessment by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to determine if they qualify for:

- full assistance

- partial assistance

- no assistance.

Principals will arrange for parents/guardians to get help in completing the PATH application form.

Parents should inform the office of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in their parish if a child who is benefiting from PATH moves from one school to another so that he or she can continue to access school fee assistance.

Parents of children on the PATH Programme, who move from one school to another, must present all the necessary documents required by the school for registration, inclusive of the family card that will indicate that their children are beneficiaries of PATH.

The regional social security office in which your children's schools is located will verify the specific fees for the schools which your children attend.

- Source: Ministry of Education and Youth