Confusion and frustration are mounting among the nation’s tertiary students following revelations that the government’s highly publicised promise to exempt students from college fees may have been a hollow one.
The controversy erupted this week following the revelation by opposition Senator, Hon. Carlos James, speaking on Star FM’s “On De Record” programme on Tuesday, disclosed that nursing students enrolled at the Division of Nursing Education of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College are being actively pursued for payments.
This contradicts the public stance taken by Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday, who reportedly reaffirmed the fee exemption policy during the recent swearing-in ceremony of his new cabinet late last year.
Despite the administration’s claims of providing financial relief, students at the Division of Nursing Education who enrolled in January 2026 have been hit with a starkly different reality.
According to documents shared by the students, they received an official correspondence informing them that the Bursary Department will be on-site this Thursday, March 19, 2026, specifically to collect outstanding fees.
The letter states:
“Please be informed that the Bursary Department will be at the Division of Nursing Education on Thursday, 19 March 2026, to collect fees. Additionally, there will be a presentation on Fees, Payment Plans, and Budgeting, which will be delivered by the Deputy Head of Finance, Miss Angelique Hackshaw.”
The inclusion of a presentation on “Payment Plans and Budgeting” has been viewed by critics as a direct betrayal of the “fee-free” mandate promised to the students. For many students who entered the programme under the impression that their financial burden would be lifted, the arrival of Miss Hackshaw and the Bursary team signals a significant policy U-turn or a massive failure in government communication.
“We were told the fees were gone,” said one student who wished to remain anonymous. “Now they are bringing in the Deputy Head of Finance to teach us how to budget for money we were told we wouldn’t have to pay. It’s misleading and unfair.”
As the March 19th deadline approaches, the government faces mounting pressure to clarify why the Division of Nursing Education of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Community College is being excluded from the exemption—or if the promise of free college was ever intended to be a reality for all.