PM Gaston Browne pledges free tuition for qualifying students to attend UWI Five Islands
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has unveiled a sweeping set of education reforms, headlined by a pledge to offer free tuition to qualifying Antiguan citizens attending the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus after its current expansion programme concludes.
The announcement came moments ago during his delivery of the 2026 National Budget, where Browne positioned education as a central pillar of the country’s long-term development strategy.
Browne said the Five Islands Campus is now undergoing substantial upgrades to improve capacity, modernise classrooms, and expand its academic offerings. Once those works are completed, he said, citizens who meet the eligibility criteria will no longer be required to pay tuition to attend the local UWI campus.
According to Browne, these reforms form part of a broader push to widen access to tertiary education, boost the local skills base, and create pathways for citizens to advance in the job market without the weight of rising tuition costs.
As a parent of two children doing CXC in 2027 this is really good news. Cause this is really a financial burden
Expansion works alone don’t explain how the country will afford long-term tuition coverage, the funding plan is still unclear.