On the subject of GATE

[Trinispougla]

to be honest, I not bothered, since i got through and can go back anywhere in the world.......i bet these Kamla babies only get shitty degrees wit no career plan. this is the reason why GATE is mash up.

It looks like you bull a male principal/Chancellor to get that "scholarship" because you does sound real dotish on every single forum that you post in.

I never got any scholarship. But continue to get vex if people criticise yuh leader, it's called having an opinion.

Desi, anybody who could argue that agriculture is a futile endeavour deserves to be ignored

[desifemlove]

Like a skipping CD. Same retort over and over.

eh? i ent really bothered.....i jus responding to some man online who tink he bad and the dude...not my isue. but it pretty true, like you does follow me around to try jostle meh...sorry, you're a man get overit.

Umm.. I think Nerve was talking about you..

you're a bit dopey, aren't you??

[desifemlove]

to be honest, I not bothered, since i got through and can go back anywhere in the world.......i bet these Kamla babies only get shitty degrees wit no career plan. this is the reason why GATE is mash up.

It looks like you bull a male principal/Chancellor to get that "scholarship" because you does sound real dotish on every single forum that you post in.

I never got any scholarship. But continue to get vex if people criticise yuh leader, it's called having an opinion.

Desi, anybody who could argue that agriculture is a futile endeavour deserves to be ignored

good.....grow crops and be poor. not my issue if you do...

but according to you and yuh friend nerve there i not allowed to comment on anything. why not? and iz both of you to prevent me? #haha

[Joshie23]

Like a skipping CD. Same retort over and over.

eh? i ent really bothered.....i jus responding to some man online who tink he bad and the dude...not my isue. but it pretty true, like you does follow me around to try jostle meh...sorry, you're a man get overit.

Umm.. I think Nerve was talking about you..

you're a bit dopey, aren't you??

After reading your posts..can't really give me wrong can you..??

[desifemlove]

Give you wrong? Wow...you didn't make much use of GATE, did you? You need to learn basic English grammar, it's not my issue if you don't have it.

[Dizzy28]

Give you wrong? Wow...you didn't make much use of GATE, did you? You need to learn basic English grammar, it's not my issue if you don't have it.

The irony!!!!!

[Trinispougla]

Queen Green Verbs aka Desi is now the chief authority on the proprieties of the English language.

[desifemlove]

Eh? no, his point didn't mek sense. but cool, i gone to another thread now.

[Dizzy28]

Very long post but worth a read.........

All this education, but to what end?
Javed Razack·Thursday, 28 July 2016
Forgive me for the length, but I want to share my story.
Yesterday an article was circulated on Facebook that congratulated me for receiving a UNESCO Fellowship for a 6 month research project in Poland, focusing on Geotourism in Trinidad and Tobago.
I am honoured to receive this fellowship. I would like to outline the events that led up to this and explain my deep hurt and disappointment in the bureaucracy that is T&T.
In 2007 I received a National Additional Scholarship from the government of T&T. In 2011, upon completing my degree in Petroleum Geoscience with 1st Class Honours at UWI, I joined the Ministry of Energy as an Associate Professional. These are scholars who were obligated to work for the government for a period of at least 2 years. At the time, working for the Ministry was widely considered to be underemployment by my peers as higher paying and more prestigious jobs within private and public energy companies were available and fairly easily obtained....... https://www.facebook.com/notes/javed-ra ... 3665910054

[S_2NR]

Very long post but worth a read.........

All this education, but to what end?
Javed Razack·Thursday, 28 July 2016
Forgive me for the length, but I want to share my story.
Yesterday an article was circulated on Facebook that congratulated me for receiving a UNESCO Fellowship for a 6 month research project in Poland, focusing on Geotourism in Trinidad and Tobago.
I am honoured to receive this fellowship. I would like to outline the events that led up to this and explain my deep hurt and disappointment in the bureaucracy that is T&T.
In 2007 I received a National Additional Scholarship from the government of T&T. In 2011, upon completing my degree in Petroleum Geoscience with 1st Class Honours at UWI, I joined the Ministry of Energy as an Associate Professional. These are scholars who were obligated to work for the government for a period of at least 2 years. At the time, working for the Ministry was widely considered to be underemployment by my peers as higher paying and more prestigious jobs within private and public energy companies were available and fairly easily obtained....... https://www.facebook.com/notes/javed-ra ... 3665910054

Excellent article. He is not the first and will not be the last. His efforts will be better served in a developed country with like minded forward thinking individuals in charge. Sad to say, Trinidad is never changing unless the people with the capability to do so approves and embraces it.

[toyolink]

Our inability to harness and constructively mobilise the resident young intellectual and professional power we possess seems to result from an absence of a committed position to development and new horizons of excellence.
Maybe a lot of what prevails is fostered by many who need to 'move on' just doing all in their power to prolong their income life line.
Opportunities are there except, the doors to same are blocked by human baggage.

[desifemlove]

Very long post but worth a read.........

All this education, but to what end?
Javed Razack·Thursday, 28 July 2016
Forgive me for the length, but I want to share my story.
Yesterday an article was circulated on Facebook that congratulated me for receiving a UNESCO Fellowship for a 6 month research project in Poland, focusing on Geotourism in Trinidad and Tobago.
I am honoured to receive this fellowship. I would like to outline the events that led up to this and explain my deep hurt and disappointment in the bureaucracy that is T&T.
In 2007 I received a National Additional Scholarship from the government of T&T. In 2011, upon completing my degree in Petroleum Geoscience with 1st Class Honours at UWI, I joined the Ministry of Energy as an Associate Professional. These are scholars who were obligated to work for the government for a period of at least 2 years. At the time, working for the Ministry was widely considered to be underemployment by my peers as higher paying and more prestigious jobs within private and public energy companies were available and fairly easily obtained....... https://www.facebook.com/notes/javed-ra ... 3665910054

it's partly his own fault. he shoulda have better guide to what he wanted to study. if he so smart, he should not expect the state to help him.

[De Dragon]

Very long post but worth a read.........

All this education, but to what end?
Javed Razack·Thursday, 28 July 2016
Forgive me for the length, but I want to share my story.
Yesterday an article was circulated on Facebook that congratulated me for receiving a UNESCO Fellowship for a 6 month research project in Poland, focusing on Geotourism in Trinidad and Tobago.
I am honoured to receive this fellowship. I would like to outline the events that led up to this and explain my deep hurt and disappointment in the bureaucracy that is T&T.
In 2007 I received a National Additional Scholarship from the government of T&T. In 2011, upon completing my degree in Petroleum Geoscience with 1st Class Honours at UWI, I joined the Ministry of Energy as an Associate Professional. These are scholars who were obligated to work for the government for a period of at least 2 years. At the time, working for the Ministry was widely considered to be underemployment by my peers as higher paying and more prestigious jobs within private and public energy companies were available and fairly easily obtained....... https://www.facebook.com/notes/javed-ra ... 3665910054

it's partly his own fault. he shoulda have better guide to what he wanted to study. if he so smart, he should not expect the state to help him.

Too much saturation in the engineer/doctor etc. type fields of study and work. Ironically parents and society as a whole, seem to think that these are the only "worthy" fields of endeavour, and thus we churn out hundreds of these types of young people with no passion or love for the career.

[pete]

http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/gat ... ng-changes

GATE no longer free; Government announces sweeping changes

Date:
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - 16:45

The Cabinet has announced sweeping changes to the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme that no longer sees the Government offering 100% financing for tertiary education from 2017.

The changes, announced by Education Minister Anthony Garcia, do not affect students who are already enrolled in programmes or who have registered to begin programmes this year.

The long anticipated changes were announced at a media briefing that followed a special Cabinet meeting today.

The Minister said that effective August 2016, students who are at presently enrolled at various programmes will continue to receive funding for their entire programmes.

He added that students registered to begin programmes in 2016 will also be fully funded for the 2016-2017 academic year.

However, from the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year, a Means Test will be used to determine how much funding the government will offer in the GATE programme.

The Minister says that following the Means Test, students from households with incomes below $10,000, will be eligible for 100% funding.

Where the household income is above $10,000 students will have to pay 25% of the course fees, with the Government providing the other 75%.

Where the household income is above $20,000, students will have to pay 50% of the fees.

The Minister added that effective August 2017, funding for post-graduate degrees will be available to students whose programmes are "in alignment with country's development needs".

The Minister did not detail what those programmes are.

Effective August 2017, students enrolled at medical programmes outside of the University of the West Indies will be funded at the level of the funding given to UWI students.

Effective August 2016, the government will discontinue funding of new students in the medical programme at the St Georges University in Grenada.

He said that effective August 2016, students will only be funded for one undergraduate programme and one post-graduate programme.

Also, effect August 2016, the loan ceiling for students at local institutions will be raised to $35,000 annually, with the $75,000 for international students remaining.

Effective August 2016, persons over the age of 50 years, will no longer eligible for GATE funding but he says that continuing students over the age of 50 will be granted funding to complete their programmes.

The Minister says the government will seek to offer education saving bonds and will announce arrangements and details soon.

He says the government will also seek to establish a National Education Savings Fund and will encourage the private sector, via tax incentives, to make fund contributions for children of employees.

The government will also offer fiscal incentives to encourage insurance companies and credit unions to invest in educational savings products, the Minister said.

"I have been advised that these initiatives would allow us to save, in the first year, $100 million and subsequent years, $200 million until we reach our target of $500 million on spending on the GATE programme," Minister Garcia said.

He added, "This government has given a commitment that it will retain GATE. It will ensure GATE is relevant, easily accessible and available to all those who need it," he said.

Sampson Nanton, CNC3 Digital

[mitch1980]

Nothing Drastic media sensationalizing these adjustments
if one must pay ...go back to the loan days





GATE no longer free; Government announces sweeping changes

Date:
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - 16:45

The government has announced sweeping changes to the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme that no longer sees the Government offering 100% financing for tertiary education from 2017.

The changes, announced by Education Minister Anthony Garcia, does not affect students who are already enrolled in programmes or who have registered to begin programmes this year.

The long anticipated changes were announced at a media briefing that followed a special Cabinet meeting today.

The Minister said that effective August 2016, students who are at presently enrolled at various programmes will continue to receive funding for entire programme and added that students registered to begin programmes in 2016 will be fully funded for the 2016-2017 academic year.

However, from the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year, a Means Test will be used to determine how much funding the government will offer in the GATE programme.

The Minister says that following the Means Test, students from household incomes below $10,000, will be eligible for 100% funding.

Where the household income is above $10,000 students will have to pay 25% of the course fees, with the Government providing the other 75%.

Where the household income is above $20,000, students will have to pay 50% of the fees.

The Minister added that effective August 2017, funding for post-graduate degrees will be available to students whose programmes are "in alignment with country's development needs".

The Minister did not detail what those programmes are.

He said that effective August 2016, students will only be funded for one undergraduate programme and one post-graduate programme.

Also, effect August 2016, the loan ceiling for students at local institutions will be raised to $35,000 annually, with the $75,000 for international students remaining.

Effective August 2016, persons over the age of 50 years, will no longer eligible for GATE funding but he says that continuing students over the age of 50 will be granted funding to complete their programmes.

Effective August 2017, students enrolled at medical programmes outside of the University of the West Indies will be funded at the level of the funding given to UWI students.

Effective August 2016, the government will discontinue funding of new students in the medical programme at the St Georges University in Grenada.

The Minister says the government will seek to offer education saving bonds and will announce arrangements and details soon.

He says the government will also seek to establish a National Education Savings Fund and will encourage the private sector, via tax incentives, to make fund contributions for children of employees.

The government will also offer fiscal incentives to encourage insurance companies and credit unions to invest in educational savings products, the Minister said.

"I have been advised that these initiatives would allow us to save, in the first year, $100 million and subsequent years, $200 million until we reach our target of $500 million on spending on the GATE programme," Minister Garcia said.

He added, "This government has given a commitment that it will retain GATE. It will ensure GATE is relevant, easily accessible and available to all those who need it," he said.

Sampson Nanton, CNC3 Digital

FOR MORE TOP STORIES: http://www.cnc3.co.tt/latest-news

[K74T]

Fair enough

[Monk BANzai]

^^exactly...

also interesting is the part where Medical students taking degree's outside of UWI are now going to be funded to the level of UWI....makes me wonder exactly how much the Govt was footing for these medical students.

100Mil in the First year...a bit ambitious... but lets see

[maj. tom]

This is very fair. Closer to something sustainable that should have been from the start of GATE.

[daas]

"Household income" refers to the combined income of the mother and father, or all income-earners of said household, student, siblings etc. ?

[cherrypopper]

This is fair compared to people paying 100 % back in the day. .

Still generous. .. imo

[Dizzy28]

I find these GATE measures to be fairly generous still.
I'm sure they will be those who will feel it is too harsh though (entitlement syndrome)

[neilsingh100]

don't see how they can efficiently administer that means test.

If you have a household with 2 persons making 10k and another with 5 persons that is huge difference in the per household income.

[Dizzy28]

don't see how they can efficiently administer that means test.

If you have a household with 2 persons making 10k and another with 5 persons that is huge difference in the per household income.

That means test is really the weakest link in the proposal.
There's the issues of rental income, under the table pay (I know quite a few people working private companies who receive an official salary close to the monthly tax free limit and an under the table salary to make up the short fall) and self employed persons who currently don't fill out tax returns.

[X_Factor]

Whats the average cost to do an engineering and medical degree per year?

[Dizzy28]

Whats the average cost to do an engineering and medical degree per year?

Eng is $18,000 per year
MBBS - $71,100 per year

[K74T]

In a nutshell:



Effective 2016:

1. Students will only be funded for one undergraduate programme and one post-graduate programme.

2. The loan ceiling for students at local institutions will be raised to $35,000 annually, with the $75,000 for international students, as currently in force.

3. Students over the age of 50 years, will no longer eligible for Gate funding.

4. Government will discontinue funding of new students in the medical programme at the St Georges University in Grenada.



Effective 2017:

1. Students enrolled at medical programmes outside of the University of the West Indies will be funded at the level of the funding given to UWI students.

2. Funding for post-graduate degrees will be available to students whose programmes are "in alignment with country's development needs".

3. Students from households making under $10,000 per month would be eligible for 100 per cent funding.

4. Students from households earning over $10,000 would pay 25 per cent of tuition fees.

5. Students from households earning over $20,000 monthly will be required to pay 50 per cent of tuition fees.

[acesinghit]

There are a lot of single parents out-there with just 1 house-hold income so this doesn't affect a huge section of our society. This benefits a group more than the other which is unfair. You work hard and marry a good woman and you two put down some kids then you save for your children's education so that they may get a good job and buy house and car.

The next section of society besides getting house free, they continue to get education free so all dem have to study besides the small rent to pay is buy whatever the new wetman car is.

Stay red and ready my friends.

[Daran]

There was a means test before GATE and I remember it being ripe with corruption as well.

Back then, I believe the threshold monthly income for 100 per cent funding was $5000 (or $4000 something). I had a friend who was from a single parent home, 3 siblings and mother worked KFC for $5300 (manager) and was blanked.

Yet, there was another guy, clearly not poor from all appearances, yet he qualified. Go figure. This was back in 2001.

Everyone's situation is different. It should have nothing to do with household income.

There should simply be a low or no interest loan for qualified educational institutes. Not every fly by night school.

[X_Factor]

^agreed, it simply pays to be counter productive now

would have liked say 1/3 the cost across the board

[De Dragon]

Discriminatory. If you're making a million dollars a month, you can do medicine free, but if you choose another discipline and you making 20K a month, you have to cough up half? Again over 50 being blanked totally? Discrimination. Why in this day and age is 20K a month considered a "high" salary? That is 15K after taxes,
Apply the rules fairly to ALL, not just a chosen few.