The Jamaica Public Service, on Wednesday, doled out $8 million to University of Technology (UTech), University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI), Northern Caribbean University, and the St Patrick's Foundation, to be issued out in scholarship or subsidy for selected needy students to be supported through yet another school year in which tertiary fees have been raised.

The lion's share of the grants went to UTech, who snagged $4 million, followed by UWI with $2.5 million, NCU with $1 million and St Patrick's with $500,000.

For over five years the company has contributed about $28 million, an average of $5.6 million a year to the institutions.

The JPS also spent $9 million for UTech to renovate two labs in January for engineering students, as well as the yearly summer sponsorship for two underprivileged high school students interested in engineering at Kettering University in Michigan.

President of the JPS Damian Obiglio said: "This year we have increased it (the grant), the only thing is we have also increased the focus on needy people. We made an effort to focus more on education. My business is a long-term business. There's no investment that we can do in JPS that will change your life tomorrow."