Law Degree Excluded From Full Free-Tuition Benefit at UWI Five Islands
Students enrolling in the new law degree programme at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus will receive only a 50 percent tuition subsidy from the government, despite the administration’s broader commitment to provide free university education for eligible undergraduates.
The clarification emerged during Thursday’s post-Cabinet briefing, where Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said the law programme was not included in the government’s original free-tuition pledge because the degree was introduced after the policy was first conceived.
“The government is giving 50% towards the legal education at UWI Five Islands,” Merchant said.
The announcement comes as interest in the programme continues to exceed expectations. Merchant disclosed that 137 students had already been accepted into the law programme as of Wednesday, with applications remaining open until the end of June.
“So far, there are 137 persons who have applied and have been accepted to pursue law at the University of the West Indies Five Islands campus,” he said. “The period for application goes until the end of June, so there are bound to be a large cadre of individuals who will be pursuing law.”
Cabinet this week reaffirmed its commitment to free tuition for Antiguan and Barbudan students pursuing their first undergraduate degree at UWI Five Islands, subject to eligibility requirements. Officials later clarified that the benefit will apply to both existing and new undergraduate students.
Merchant said the law programme required separate consideration because it was added to the Five Islands curriculum after the government announced its free-tuition initiative.
“Government’s negotiations led to law now becoming a part of the curriculum at UWI Five Islands,” he said. “While it did not form part of its original decision because law was not being offered at UWI Five Islands, it finds it necessary that it should give some support.”
The rapid growth of the programme has reinforced government plans to expand the campus. Cabinet has established a subcommittee comprising Education Minister Daryll Matthew, Social Transformation Minister Rawdon Turner and Information and Communications Technology Minister Melford Nicholas to work with university officials on future expansion and partnerships.
The committee will examine opportunities for new academic programmes and infrastructure development aimed at supporting Antigua and Barbuda’s workforce needs.
Government officials have also proposed expanding the country’s windfall tax regime to help finance tertiary education, including operations at UWI Five Islands and institutions within the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies system.
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So, was the promise of free UWI merely an election tactic? After getting our votes, it seems the commitment was quietly abandoned.
So, was the promise of free UWI merely an election tactic? After getting our votes, it seems the commitment was quietly abandoned.
Historically, Antigua and Barbuda applied a sector-specific windfall tax that predominantly targeted the banking and financial sectors. In 2022, Parliament voted to extend this tax on select corporate net incomes indefinitely to provide basic financing for the UWI Five Islands campus.
In June 2026, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the Cabinet introduced a proposal to widen the net, looking to apply the windfall tax to all highly profitable local businesses across the country, regardless of their industry.
(Gaston thoughts) We had to say anything to win the election, the onliest thing delivered since the election is our salaries as politicians and concessions for the Spanish community, what the hell! After every election whether ALP or UPP wins, we always look about the foreigners before the Antiguans, we are doing an amnesty now so I have to quit writing this blog.
I do hope that these law students become profecient in immigration laws and constitutional law, and not just criminal law.
Because all now, none of these current law heads in parliament can explain the US transfer of deportees through Antigua, and to clarify the legal terms properly.
They went and signed a MOU with the US, without anyone that seems to understand the relevant laws or even what they have really signed up for.
I just hope for these students for Antigua sake.
This can help produce more Antiguan lawyers instead of always looking overseas
Good start, but hopefully one day they can make law school fully free too
Big help for parents because law school expenses does scare plenty families
This is excellent news for young people who dream of becoming lawyers but simply cannot afford the tuition costs.
As a taxpayer, I don’t mind helping students, but I would like to see a breakdown of the cost and expected benefits.
I glad to see government putting money into education and not just talking about it.
I wish they would extend that to other critical areas of study like speech pathology
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