–with addition of new $20,000 transportation grant, increase in ‘Because We Care’ grant, uniform voucher
The Government has announced an expansion of its direct support to families with school-aged children, increasing the Because We Care (BWC) Student Grant to $60,000 per child and introducing a new annual Transportation Support Grant of $20,000.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, made the announcement during the presentation of the 2026 National Budget to the National Assembly.
Dr Singh said since the restoration of the BWC Grant in 2020, the administration has steadily increased the benefit from $10,000 in 2014 to $50,000 in 2025, and now to $60,000 in 2026.
The increase will benefit approximately 206,000 children in public and private schools, placing an additional $2 billion into households with school children. This brings the total estimated transfers under the BWC programme to $12.4 billion.
In addition, Government will introduce an Annual Transportation Support Grant of $20,000 per child, fulfilling a commitment made in its 2025 manifesto. The new grant will inject an estimated $4.1 billion in additional disposable income into families.
Dr Singh explained that when combined with the $5,000 uniform voucher allowance, families will now receive a total of $85,000 per child each year.
This translates into an estimated $17.5 billion in direct transfers to parents for 2026, reinforcing Government’s commitment to reducing the cost of education and supporting household incomes.
