With exam season underway, Guyana’s Education Ministry is reminding this year’s school leavers of a historic new opportunity: free tuition at the University of Guyana (UG) for all eligible students. Starting from the 2025/2026 academic year, the government has abolished all tuition fees at UG – fulfilling a major campaign promise by President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo to make tertiary education accessible to every Guyanese youth. Education Minister Priya Manickchand took to social media to highlight the “unprecedented opportunity” awaiting the Class of 2025: “The University of Guyana is free,” she announced encouragingly.
This policy is a game-changer. In previous years, UG tuition cost students roughly GY$200,000–$500,000 per year (depending on program) – a prohibitive barrier for many families. Now, that barrier is gone. All tuition fees for diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and even PhD programs at UG have been waived, for both new and continuing students. An estimated 11,000 current UG students are set to benefit immediately, and every incoming student hereafter will study for free as well. The government will cover the costs, budgeting about GY$18 billion to fund the initiative.
Minister Manickchand framed it as part of a broader push to invest in the next generation. “There’s a bright, beautiful, thriving Guyana waiting with a variety of opportunities… The University of Guyana is free,” she told students in a video message, urging them to take full advantage by working hard in their CAPE and CSEC exams. She noted that previously many promising students couldn’t afford university despite good grades, but “that barrier has now been removed.”
Beyond UG, Guyana’s education landscape now offers multiple avenues. The Minister reminded youths about the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship program, which has already granted tens of thousands of online certificates and degrees Skills training centers have been expanded countrywide for those pursuing technical and vocational paths. “We are building a system that meets you where you are, and takes you to where you want to go,” Manickchand said, emphasizing that whether a student chooses university, trade school, or other training, the government has options in place.
As CSEC exams began this week (with the English Language paper sat by the largest cohort), the Education Minister offered practical support: she urged families to maintain quiet, supportive home environments during exam days and to ensure students arrive on time with the right mindset. “Let us all support our children… As a nation, we must lift up our young people,” she appealed.
The free UG tuition policy officially took effect from January 1, 2025, though its big impact will be felt in the new academic year when the first batch of free-education students enroll .UG opened its applications on April 1 and has been receiving over 1,200 applications per week – a possible sign of heightened interest now that cost is not an issue. The deadline to apply for September is May 16. University officials advise prospective students to apply early, as popular programs (medicine, engineering, etc.) have quotas.
For many Guyanese families, sending a child to university was once a financial strain or an impossible dream. This week, as teenagers write their final school exams, that dream has suddenly become much more attainable. “Your hard work matters. Your dreams are valid. And now, your country is ready to help you achieve them,” Manickchand affirmed in her message – words of encouragement as a new era of free tertiary education dawns in Guyana.
