Ed­u­ca­tion Min­is­ter Dr Nyan Gads­by-Dol­ly says al­most 4,000 school and book grants will be hand­ed out in the new year - 2025. She says this will fol­low the 20,200 grants dis­bursed in fis­cal 2024.

The min­is­ter re­spond­ed to a ques­tion in Par­lia­ment last Fri­day from Tabaquite MP Ani­ta Haynes-Al­leyne about the num­ber of grants dis­trib­uted in 2024.

The school sup­plies and book grant was an­nounced in the 2023–2024 bud­get.

Gads­by-Dol­ly said, “The num­ber of ap­pli­ca­tions re­ceived for the school sup­plies and book grant in fis­cal 2024 was 26,967. The num­ber of ap­pli­cants qual­i­fied and ap­proved, with com­plete and ver­i­fied doc­u­men­ta­tion, in fis­cal 2024 was 20,000.

“The num­ber of grants dis­bursed in fis­cal 2024 was 20,000. Ap­pli­cants who did not sub­mit in fis­cal 2024 all nec­es­sary doc­u­men­ta­tion or the re­quired amend­ments to their ini­tial sub­mis­sions were giv­en the op­por­tu­ni­ty to pro­vide same and com­plete their ap­pli­ca­tions.”

The Ed­u­ca­tion Min­is­ter said fol­low­ing re­ceipt of ad­di­tion­al doc­u­men­ta­tion, more grants will be dis­bursed in 2025.

“Con­se­quent on the sub­mis­sion of ad­di­tion­al doc­u­ments and in­for­ma­tion, 3,345 ad­di­tion­al ap­pli­cants for 2024 grants have be­come el­i­gi­ble. These ad­di­tion­al pay­ments will be made in fis­cal 2025 as soon as funds are avail­able.

—Gail Alexan­der