The programme aims to help students sitting the principles of business (POB) and principles of accounts (POA) examinations at the CXC level to cope with the expenses. The fees for taking those exams have also increased.

A release from the NCB Foundation said there were now 108 schools applying for the subsidy and that a hike in fees meant the subsidy had to move from $5 million to $8.5 million.

There were questions over whether the foundation would continue to subsidise fees for students sitting the exams, however, the subsidy has continued, with 4,484 students set to benefit.

In 2003, NCB Foundation's CXC POA/POB Fee Sponsorship programme came about as a result of the launch of NCB Chairman Michael Lee-Chin's Jamaican Education Initiative.

Each year under the programme, more than 4,000 applications are paid for by the foundation.

Since the programme began, the foundation has donated more than $73 million and funded more than 62,000 entries, including the current sponsorship commitment for the 2009-10 academic year.

To obtain the subsidy, schools applying must maintain a 90 per cent sit rate over the previous two years in either POA or POB.

In addition, the students' academic performance should be an average of 70 per cent or higher in the respective subject areas.