Bahamas - Guidance To Apply Student Loan

Create Procedure for Bahamas

Procedure

1. Obtain application forms from the offices of the Ministry of Education Scholarship and Educational Loans Division or download a copy of the forms by visiting the Ministry of Education's Website.
2. Complete the form in full and provide all necessary supporting documents as indicated on the form.
3. Submit the completed application forms to the Scholarships and Loans Division or to the offices of the District Superintendents in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands no later than 30 April of each year.
4. Your application will be processed by the Scholarship and Educational Loans Division and forwarded to the Education Committee for consideration. The Education Committee is the body in charge of approving educational loan requests. Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered by the Committee.
5. Applicants will be required to come in to the office for an interview.
6. A notification in writing will be sent to the applicants regarding the outcome of their application. Successful applicants will be informed by means of press announcements of the dates on which they should present themselves to the agent of the Education Loan Authority for the processing of their loan.

Notes:

• Always keep a file of all relevant documents and records.
• The Scholarships and the Education Loans Division is available to advise and assist you throughout the course of your studies. Keep the Division informed of your progress and of any problems you may encounter.

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Required Documents

• Completed application forms, required documents are listed on the forms.

Office Locations & Contacts

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Thompson Boulevard
P.O. Box N-3913/14
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas

Phone: (242)322-8140 / (242) 502-2700/4
Fax: (242)322-8491 (HR) (242)328-8970 (PS)
SCHOLARSHIPS : 502-9025
Other contact numbers

Opening Hours:
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Monday to Friday, except public holidays

Website

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Eligibility

Government of The Bahamas Educational Loans:

• the student is a Bahamian citizen;
• the student is sixteen years of age or more;
• the loan is made to a person who is eighteen years of age or more;
• the student has been accepted into an approved tertiary institution;
• the student is supported by an eligible co-borrower.

Fees

The following fees are charged annually in respect of each approved loan:

• a 2% loan guarantee premium;
• a $300.00 bank processing fee;
• premium for life insurance which will vary according to the amount of the loan.

Validity

The Educational Loan may be revoked at any time on the grounds of poor performance, the student's failure to enroll, failure to carry full course loads, unsatisfactory behaviour or any other reason deemed appropriate by the Education Committee. Should the loan be revoked, the recipient will be obliged to repay all monies owing, plus accrued interest.

Refused loan requests or revoked loan agreement

Applicants/recipients have the right, under the provisions of the Educational Guarantee Fund Act , to appeal to the Minister for a review of a decision of the Committee regarding the refusal of an application for a loan, the modification of a loan or the revocation of a loan. An appeal for such a review must:

• be in writing;
• give particulars of the decision to be reviewed;
• include any material or representation to be taken into account;
• be delivered to the Minister within thirty (30) days after the individual has received notice of the Committee's decision.

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

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Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
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sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
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Instructions

Government of The Bahamas Educational Loans

Loan Recipients - Criteria:

• previous academic performance;
• institution to be attended;
• relevance of proposed field of study to national development needs;
• financial need; and
• the ability of the borrower and/or co-borrower to service the loan.

Maximum Annual Loan Amounts:

• Undergraduate: $10,000.00
• Graduate or Professional Student: $15,000.00

Of the maximum amount of the loan awarded in any year, no more than $3,000 will be allocated to room and board.

Approved loan amounts will be disbursed in two segments, one in August and one in December.

Required Information

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e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Need for the Document

The Bahamas Government Educational Loan assists students in pursuing a college or university education.

Loans awarded through the program are only intended to help borrowers in paying for studies related expenses, applicants should therefore not expect that all costs will be covered by amounts awarded.

Number of loans awarded each academic year is based upon availability of funds provided for this purpose. Priority will be given to students applying to attend the College of The Bahamas, other local institutions and the University of the West Indies.

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Information which might help

If you are granted a student loan, you and your co-borrower are by law equally responsible for repaying that loan and for fulfilling all the terms and conditions in the loan agreement you signed.

Loan Conditions:

• A loan is awarded for a particular course of study, at a particular institution, and for a specific period of time. Any change of major, institution or period of study requires the prior approval of the Education Committee.
• If the approved course of study is completed in a shorter period of time than that originally stated on the application form, the student will not be allowed to claim the balance of the loan for other studies. If the approved course of study is NOT completed in the time period specified, the Committee will consider the circumstances and MAY extend the Loan. Requests for such consideration must be submitted to the Education Committee in writing and must be supported by relevant documents, including confirmation by the institution of the anticipated date of graduation, and proof of circumstances claimed (e.g. medical reports etc.).
• Each overseas student (undergraduate or graduate) must at all times meet the requirements set by the institution for full-time students.
• Students are required to maintain a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.5 per semester, or the equivalent.
• It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that performance reports are made available to the Scholarship and Loans Division of the Ministry of Education each semester. To facilitate this, students will be required to sign a form authorizing the institution to forward such reports directly to the Division.

Loan recipient's responsibility:

An original official transcript must be submitted at the end of each academic year. Transcripts must be received by the Division no later than July 31 each year.

An Official Transcript is one which is signed and sealed by the Registrar or other relevant authority of a College or University. Faxed copies or grade reports downloaded from the Internet are not considered Official Transcripts). Unless an official transcript is received, no further funds will be disbursed to the student.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas - Educational Loan Programme:

https://forms.bahamas.gov.bs/documents/EDUC_Education%20%20Loan%20Student%20Manual%202003.pdf

Others

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