Free UG education takes full effect for new academic year

The Government’s policy of providing free university education will be fully implemented from the 2025/2026 academic year at the University of Guyana (UG).
This means that all tuition fees for diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes will be waived for both new and continuing students.
In excess of 11,000 current students of UG are set to benefit from this measure along with all future entrants. The initiative which follows a commitment by President Dr Irfaan Ali and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo to make tertiary education more accessible to all Guyanese, particularly those from low- and middle-income households, will cost the treasury some $18 billion.
The measure took effect from January 1, 2025, and is seen as a transformative step toward building a highly skilled, inclusive, and resilient workforce.

Applications open
UG has begun accepting applications for the 2025/2026 academic year from April 1, 2025, and the process will close on May 16, 2025. All prospective students are encouraged to submit their applications early, as quotas for popular programmes fill up quickly, UG said on Tuesday, adding that it is currently processing an average of 1,200 applications per week.
Applications are invited for all degree, diploma, and certificate programmes, and detailed information about each programme, along with the application process, is available on UG’s official website and communication channels.

CSEC Students
Meanwhile, prospective students set to sit the 2025 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations are also encouraged to apply entry into UG before receiving their results. According to the University, provisional acceptance will be granted in some programmes, pending submission of official grades. In this regard, students are advised to request that Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) send their results directly to the University to expedite processing.
The rollout of free tuition in keeping with its 2020 Manifesto promise made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government.
This is just one of a series of measures announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali to enhance access to education, particularly in bridging the gap between the hinterland and coastland. Free tuition is also applicable to all Government technical and vocational institutions, including the Linden Technical Institute (LTI), Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), and Berbice Technical Institute (BTI).
About a week ago, the Head of State announced that the Government of Guyana will fully fund the CXC fees for at least eight CSEC subjects per student, as well as fees for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), benefiting both public and private school learners across the country.
The announcement was made during a public meeting at the West Demerara Secondary School, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) where the Head of State addressed a packed audience of students, parents, and teachers.
Prior to the President’s announcement, the Government provided subsidies for students in the public education sector writing CSEC. The subsidies were determined based on the financial position of parents/guardians.
Targeting students in Grades 11 through 13 at Government secondary schools, the subsidy structure covered up to 10 subjects and extends support to both new and continuing students, including special provisions for trained teachers pursuing exams.
With this in mind, President Ali noted that the policy is expected to benefit thousands of students annually and reduce dropout rates while boosting national performance at the CSEC level.