The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net 

FOR months, Phillawn Strachan has balanced teaching and studying at the University of The Bahamas (UB), but late financial aid payments have left her struggling to cover rent and basic necessities.

The delays, which have impacted others, have left some facing eviction, according to the university’s Student Government Association (SGA), which criticised the institution yesterday for its failure to resolve the issue, saying the delays have persisted for years despite assurances from administrators.

“I’ve had to use my personal funds to cover my rent and other needs,” Ms Strachan told The Tribune yesterday. She said her teacher stipend and accommodation grant — $475 and $500, respectively — should ease the burden, but inconsistent payments have forced her to rely on family support.

Anthony Ferguson Jr, a 21-year-old law and criminal justice major, has also been hit hard by the delays. After moving from Grand Bahama to New Providence for school, he expected his financial aid to cover rent. Instead, he’s been forced to pay late fees, driving up costs.

“Although my landlord is lenient, she’s only lenient up to a certain date,” he said. “After that, the money begins to add up. Sometimes my bill goes from $750 to $1,000 because of how late the pay is.”

Ms Strachan, a senior student who also works at UB, said the strain is even greater because her wages from the university are often delayed as well. When she has no food, she turns to UB’s care pantry, a programme set up to help students in need.

“We are extremely fed up because the cost of living is extremely high,” she said. “My landlord is not going to say that because they didn’t pay me, I could just take a break.”

SGA president Chanté Deal estimates the delays have impacted more than 100 students.

“These funds are supposed to be distributed monthly, but this has not been the case for years,” she said. “What has been happening is that students either receive them halfway through the semester — getting the first two months at once — then they receive the remainder at the end of the semester.”

Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin apologised for the disruption yesterday, saying her ministry is investigating the cause of the delays.

She later told the House of Assembly that students were informed last week that payments would be made by Friday.

She said 225 students receive accommodation grants, 72 receive nursing stipends, and 88 receive education stipends.

However, Ms Deal said the issue has persisted under multiple administrations and remains “unacceptable”.

She said the problem has gone on long enough, adding that some students have struggled to afford school supplies, while Family Island students dependent on off-campus housing have faced eviction threats.

“We don’t think it benefits students to have a reactive response instead of a proactive one,” she said. “We just want these funds to be in place so we don’t have to experience these delays in the future.”

The repeated financial aid issues have also raised concerns about UB’s financial status. The SGA is demanding answers on why payments continue to be late.

The Davis administration has faced several payment-related issues in recent months.

Earlier this year, some funeral homes refused to respond to police body removal requests due to unpaid government bills.

In 2023, Opposition Leader Michael Pintard highlighted delayed payments to contractors under the Urban Renewal programme in Grand Bahama.

The Tribune also previously reported that 900 participants in the Public Service Professional Engagement Programme (PSPEP) faced delays in receiving their wages.

“We just want what we’re owed,” Ms Strachan said.