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PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — One hundred and twenty four study financing applications have been granted out of a 182 submitted applications this year, disclosed Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs at the Council of Ministers Press briefing. She noted some of these cases have been appealed and 60% of these appeals have already been dealt with, but she was unable to provide the results of those appeals.

Seven of the plications are pending exam results, considering CXC results are published at a later time. She disclosed that the most popular areas of study include: nursing, psychology, law, international and European law, medicine, business administration and accounting, financing, education and ICT.  Majority of the students apply for schools in the USA (27), 36 to the Netherlands, 20 remaining on St. Maarten, England 8, Canada 7 and the remaining students for the rest of the Caribbean. Special to note, the minister said students from the St. Maarten Academy PSVE have expressed an interest in study financing having completed their GED exams and become eligible for college entrance.

However, the minister disclosed that there have been a considerable drop in academic performance of study financing students. She used the opportunity to stress the importance of maintaining a high Grade Point Average (GPA) in order to maintain the study financing and in some cases in state tuition. “It’s a privilege for you to receive this funding,” she reminded students, noting that it’s a partial scholarship and a partial grant. “You are only going to be able to enjoy the benefits of having a partial grant if you actually maintain your GPAs…if you do not live up to those requirements it then becomes a complete loan. This become a burden on you on your parents without attain an actually degree,” Minister Jacobs explained.