PHILIPSBURG:--- The Acting Minister of Education, Lyndon Lewis, has announced that a total of 116 applications for study financing have been received for the 2024/2025 academic year. This represents a slight decrease of six applications compared to the previous year.
Out of the 116 applications, 94 have received positive designations, 14 were denied, and 8 are currently pending. The positive designations are distributed as follows: 24 for St. Maarten, 20 for the Netherlands, 33 for the USA, 10 for Canada, 1 for Bonaire, 2 for Curaçao, 1 for the Dominican Republic, 1 for Tobago, and 2 for the United Kingdom.
The Study Financing Committee has postponed issuing recommendations for the eight pending applications until the final exam results are available.
Minister Lewis highlighted that out of the total requests, 41 students applied for study financing in areas not included on the government's priority study list. Notably, St. Maarten, despite being a tourism-based island, has seen very few applications in the hospitality and service industries. Only one application was submitted for hospitality management, compared to ten for business administration/management, six for nursing, and five for psychology.
Minister Lewis expressed his concern regarding the disconnect between the tourism industry and young people's academic interests. "It is essential that we investigate why our country's primary economic pillar, tourism, is not attracting more academic interest," he said. "There seems to be a significant gap between the opportunities in tourism and the career aspirations of our youth. We need to understand and address this dynamic."
The Minister emphasized his commitment to supporting the future of St. Maarten's youth through educational opportunities. "I take enormous pride in being able to literally sign for the future," Minister Lewis stated. "Providing young people with the opportunity to excel at the tertiary education level and hopefully return to St. Maarten to apply the knowledge they have gained is a responsibility we hold dear. It is up to the government to ensure the country is ready for that influx of talent and expertise."
All applicants can lodge an appeal with the Minister. The appeal procedure can be viewed on the website of the Division for Study Financing: https://studyfinancing-sxm.com
