A total of 721 students have been shortlisted for government scholarships this year, according to a list released by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Of the total, 156 are Year 13 and 14 students, while 565 students were shortlisted under the general application category.

The Ministry says that due to budget constraints, general applications were not accepted in previous scholarship intakes. However, the intake has been resumed this year.

Minister of Education and training, Hon. Simil Johnson, has urged students whose names appear on the list to work closely with the Scholarship Office regarding their placements.

Minister Johnson explained that Year 13 and 14 students are currently undergoing counselling sessions with scholarship officers, which form the first step in clearing them for placement.

“For the shortlisted candidates, we are asking them to come into the same programme and bring their documents for counselling, to guide them through the process for placement into schools,” he said.

The Minister noted that with this year’s intake, there are now 1,368 students on government scholarships.

Of these, 647 students were already on scholarship support, while 721 new students have been awarded scholarships this year.

The government will provide assistance under two types of scholarship arrangements.

Minister Johnson said that in some cases the government will cover all education costs, while in others the costs will be shared between the government and parents.

“Due to budget constraints, the government and the Training Board have made placements under two different arrangements,” he said.

“Education is everyone’s responsibility. The board has decided to support students by assisting with tuition fees. For those who are self-sponsored, the government will cover half of the tuition costs, while families will pay the remaining half, to improve access to further education.”

The resumption of the general scholarship intake marks a significant step in expanding access to higher education, despite ongoing budget challenges. The Ministry of Education and Training has encouraged all shortlisted students to cooperate with the Scholarship Office to ensure a smooth placement process.