Floyd Grindley, Contributor

I am a regular reader of The Gleaner and as I have been reading recently, it is apparent that the average graduate is departing the University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Technology, or Northern Caribbean University with mixed emotions. Fortunately, there is always the minority or privileged few who will leave with a lot more success. However, many will be wondering: Will I get a job soon? Will I be able to repay the money borrowed for my tuition? Am I qualified to get my dream job? How will I compete with 50 other colleagues of mine for the one job vacancy? Will I ever be able to start a family?

I graduated from the UWI, St Augustine campus almost nine years ago and had the same experiences as the recent graduates who gave personal accounts of the real-life situations after leaving tertiary-level institutions and found that the much-touted investment is nothing more than the genesis of a new fight.

I personally went through the same pain and dissatisfaction with the system when I returned to home, sweet home Jamaica after ending my three years in Trinidad with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Monthly expenditures

As I recall, my gross salary was about $85,000 per month working at one of the bauxite companies; plus an occasional quarterly discretionary bonus. With this salary, I was not able to fulfil my obligations to make the specified students loan payment, since it was more important for me to pay for the basic necessities (rental accommodations, food, utilities, etc) and public transportation since I could not even afford a Toyota Corolla; worse a Honda Civic.

After my monthly expenditures, I could not pay my student loan bill since what was remaining I would have to my mother in St Elizabeth who was a single parent (and just a farmer rearing a few cows) since my dad passed away when I was four years old.

It is imperative that I take this opportunity to commend the UWI and the Students' Loan Bureau (SLB) regardless. If it weren't for these two institutions, I could not have been where I am today. I am still not rich, but today I have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university which I personally think prepares its students to be able to adjust in any local or international job market. Most importantly, I do not owe any money to the SLB. (Perhaps I should also thank the Government of Jamaica for subsidising tuition fees). Again, I sympathise with the recent graduates and graduates-to-be of 2009, since it was not until I took up employment in the United States of America that it was possible for me to fulfil my loan obligations to the SLB. At times, I feel very guilty for contributing to the so-called 'brain drain' of Jamaica. I know everyone's situation differs, but life after university will be a challenge.

You may have similar goals to those of Stacy-Ann P (The Sunday's Gleaner, of May 24), or it might be necessary for you to put off having children until you are financially capable or to take public transportation until you have accomplished the goals in life you set during the final year of university.

Education is of utmost importance and from my personal experience, there is no other way out in the life of an average Jamaican.

Remember that the training you get at university or college no one can take it away from you and better yet, it is like you can take your certificate to the bank. It will be yours forever! The Bible reminds us in Genesis 3, verse 19 that "in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread". Never give up but continue to work hard and believe that there is a light at the end of tunnel.

Lower the interest rate

I believe we all share the same opinion that without education, we will not solve the elevated crime problem in Jamaica and lift ourselves away from being a developing country. Jamaica is a very rich country with a lot of talents and it is our responsibility to be innovative in making the right decisions to break the barrier.

I would like to appeal to the Government to lower the interest rate on loans to students. If the gra-duates are exposed to a lighter burden they might start paying back their loan sooner. Also, the borrowers would not feel as though they are being mistreated and/or mismanaged the way that I felt seven years ago. My second appeal is for the Ministry of Education to take the necessary steps to pass a regulation or law whereby the student loan payments would be a pre-tax deductable amount. That is, employees would deduct loan payments before estimating the mandatory governmental tax deductions. Consequently, the amount of tax a citizen pays would be reduced, and those graduates who are willing to pay will benefit. The SLB and the country of Jamaica will benefit in the long run as well. I know reducing revenues is one of the last things that the Government may be thinking about at this time, given the economic environment, but the perception that education is a key factor and utmost importance in the country's future must be substantiated with more actions than verbal delineation.