–President Ali reaffirms
GUYANA is well on its way to providing free university education by the end of 2025, according to President, Dr Irfaan Ali.
The Head of State, during an engagement with the Guyanese Diaspora in St Lucia, on Wednesday, reaffirmed his government’s position, marking a significant move towards educational reform in the country.

“We are well on our way to ensuring that university education is free. And long before the end of next year, we will make university education completely free in Guyana,” President Ali confirmed.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to alleviate the financial burden on students at the University of Guyana (UG).
Recently, Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said that the government plans to allocate around $18 billion from the 2024 fiscal package to cancel existing student loans.

“We are also writing off, potentially, $18 billion in past loans, and that’s all in this year’s budget. For those who took loans in the earlier period, they don’t have to pay back their loans. So, this is a major policy,” he said.

The government’s phased approach to free tertiary education began in December 2023, initially focusing on individuals currently holding loans from the university.
Efforts are also underway to develop policies to assist those who have already paid their tuition but are still repaying loans to commercial banks.

Amid concerns about the potential undermining of the University of Guyana, Jagdeo clarified the government’s stance.
The establishment of the Guyana Online Learning Academy (GOAL), an online scholarship programme, is not intended to devalue traditional university education but to complement it by addressing the country’s urgent training needs and labour shortages.

The government has allocated $4.1 billion for UG’s subvention and $4 billion for the GOAL programme, demonstrating a balanced approach to expanding educational opportunities through both traditional and online means.

This forward-moving plan reflects the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government’s commitment to enhancing educational access and reducing financial barriers for students, aiming for a more educated and skilled workforce to meet Guyana’s developmental needs.