The Government of Antigua and Barbuda will continue offering overseas scholarships even as students gain access to free undergraduate tuition at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus.
Director of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, Maurice Merchant, addressed the matter during Thursday's post-Cabinet media briefing. He said the government's policy encourages students to pursue their first degree at UWI Five Islands whenever their desired programme is available locally.
However, Merchant was clear that overseas scholarships remain an option under specific circumstances.
"We do have a continuation of scholarships for individuals who may wish not to take up the free first-degree offer provided by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to attend the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus," he said.
Government assistance for international studies is generally reserved for programmes not offered locally. "Once they can be done locally, we do not provide assistance for it to be done internationally outside Antigua and Barbuda," Merchant explained.
Antigua and Barbuda also continues to benefit from scholarship opportunities provided by international partners, including Morocco, China and India. Merchant noted that scholarship places offered by China for the 2026-2027 academic year have already been filled, while applications for programmes offered by other partner countries remain open.
The Scholarship Division currently serves more than 2,000 students, and Merchant acknowledged that the high volume of demand can make it difficult for applicants to reach the department. He encouraged prospective students to remain in contact with the division, as new opportunities become available throughout the year.
