Community College Admission Now Free
In one of his first major policy pronouncements since taking office, Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday has declared the removal of admission fees at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC), signalling a decisive push to make education more affordable and inclusive.
The announcement came during the swearing-in ceremony of his new Cabinet, where Dr. Friday underscored that education must be treated as a national investment rather than “mere slogans.” He stressed that financial barriers should never force families into choosing which of their children can attend school.
“I cannot sleep well when a mother has to choose among her children who will attend school because she cannot afford to send both,” the Prime Minister said, vowing that fees and charges should not stand in the way of basic education.
The reform abolishes not only the EC$20 application fee but also programme-specific admission charges across the college’s four divisions Arts, Sciences & General Studies (DASGS), Technical & Vocational Education (DTVE), Teacher Education (DTE), and Nursing Education (DNE). Students previously faced varying costs depending on their chosen programme, with additional laboratory fees for science subjects.
With more than 2,000 students enrolled annually and semester intakes ranging from 400 to 700 per division, the measure is expected to broaden access to tertiary education, particularly for students from low-income households. The Technical & Vocational Division has recently recorded its highest intake of over 600 students in a single semester, reflecting growing demand for advanced training.
Dr. Friday linked the initiative to his government’s wider agenda of pairing education reform with job creation and investment, warning that young Vincentians must not be “locked out of the economy” due to lack of opportunity.
The abolition of admission fees also fulfills a central campaign pledge of the New Democratic Party (NDP), which consistently argued that affordability and accessibility must be at the heart of education policy.
By lifting financial hurdles at the Community College and promising relief for secondary school families, the administration has set the stage for a broader transformation in how education is financed and delivered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
