THE EDITOR, Sir:
I AM compelled to write this letter about the unnecessary financial charges that the Student Loan Bureau has been charging its customers - poor Jamaican students.
Recently, a friend asked me to pick up an application form at the Bureau and I was surprised as the receptionist informed me that I must pay $250 for the form. I was reluctant at first, however she advised me that it has been the policy of the Bureau. My only option was to pay for the form, as my friend would not be able to attend university without the loan.
After collecting the form and a brochure on the Bureau, I observed that students are also subject to a "loan processing fee" of $2,500 and "nominal insurance fee". These fees, which could add up to nearly $4,000, are non-fundable, if the loan application is rejected or denied.
With about 4 per cent of the current population enrolled in tertiary institutions and 7 per cent with tertiary education, the Bureau's action though it may appear small, is not helping the poor to get a 'passport to higher education'.
The Bureau was established to assist poor Jamaican students who are unable to fully finance their tertiary education.
We need a Bureau that reaches out to a large number of students and spends less on administration and building and other overheads.
We also need students that are responsible and repay their loans. Jamaica needs a well educated workforce at the tertiary level to take us out of poverty and decay.
I am etc.,
PATRICK MAITLAND
188 Spanish Town Road
Kingston 11
E-mail:
patland@cwjamaica.com
