Dear Editor,

I am writing to express the deep disappointment and frustration felt by students and families following what many of us believe to be a serious failure by the government concerning tuition at The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus.

The Prime Minister publicly gave students and the people of this country the impression that university education at UWI Five Islands would be made free. For many families, this was not just another political promise. It represented hope, a chance for young people to pursue higher education without placing an enormous financial burden on their parents and guardians.

Yet, only four days before the university was scheduled to reopen, students were presented with fee information that appeared to contradict the understanding created by the government’s announcement.

Even more troubling was the subsequent clarification that the free-tuition arrangement applied only to students registering for the 2026/27 academic year, while continuing students were not included in the same way.

This raises a very serious question: What about the students who had already started their degrees?

These students made decisions based on the government’s public statements. Their families budgeted, planned and sacrificed based on the expectation that the promise of free university education would apply to them as well.

You cannot tell students that university will be free, allow them to believe that their education will no longer carry that financial burden, and then, just days before the academic year begins, introduce a distinction that leaves continuing students facing fees.

That is not merely a matter of paperwork.

It affects people’s lives, their education and their futures.

If there were conditions attached to the promise, those conditions should have been clearly communicated from the beginning and not revealed at the last minute when students and their families have little opportunity to adjust.

Students deserve transparency. Parents deserve clarity. And citizens deserve honesty from the government they elected to represent them.

We must also remember that education is not a political slogan. Behind every student is a family making sacrifices to create a better future. When political promises concerning education are made, people have every right to expect those promises to be clearly defined and honestly implemented.

This situation has left many students feeling disappointed, misled and ignored. It is particularly troubling when a policy that could have been a tremendous benefit to young people instead creates confusion and division between new and continuing students.

The government should immediately provide a clear explanation of the policy, including exactly who qualifies, why continuing students were excluded, and what assistance will be available to those students who are already enrolled.

Most importantly, the government should acknowledge the impact this has had on students and their families.

We may disagree on politics, but we should never disagree on the importance of keeping promises to our young people.

We will remember this.

We will remember the promises that were made. We will remember the confusion that followed. We will remember the students who were left wondering how they would pay their fees just days before the start of the academic year.

And when the next election comes, citizens will have the opportunity to judge this government’s record, not by speeches, slogans or promises, but by its actions.

A government must understand that citizens are not simply voters to be persuaded during an election campaign.

We are the people who place our trust in you to govern responsibly.

If the promise of free university education was made, then the people deserve an honest explanation of why the reality appears so different for continuing students.

Our young people deserve better.

Promises should mean something. Education should not be used as a political tool. And the people of this country should never be made to feel that their trust has been manipulated.

Yours sincerely,

Concerned Citizen

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: LETTER: Promises Made, Promises Broken: The Betrayal of Students at UWI Five Islands.