Who Will Benefit from C.A.B.E.I. Scholarship Grant?

Dian Maheia

Earlier this week, the Government of Belize was able to procure two hundred and fifty-five scholarships through a grant from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, also known as C.A.B.E.I.  But, as we found out today, the scholarships are not going to be used for tuition purposes. Now, we have reported that the Ministry of Education is working on a free education program in south side Belize City, and C.E.O. Dian Maheia confirmed that the grant money will be used to assist twenty-five students per year for five years, but in a different way.

Dian Maheia, C.E.O., Ministry of Education

“The financing that will come through C.A.B.E.I. will be given to twenty-five students per year for five years. And the students will be given the amount that is allotted is one thousand U.S. dollars for students per year and it is to be used on everything else that they need for school support. So this is uniforms, shoes, books, materials, school feeding programs. So this C.A.B.E.I. grant, money, this initiative is going to begin as part of our education upliftment project. We will begin this engagement with the four schools on the south side that we have been talking about. This is a part of our getting started because these are also the schools where we will begin the free education rollout. So, since the students will already be benefiting from the free education program, then this money is going to support them in the other needs. And it is twenty-five students per year for the next five years. So if you start off in first form, you are supported for first form, second form, third form, fourth form and there is a fifth year which could be, for example, your first year at junior college.”