Guyana cancels student debt and expands education access
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The University of Guyana cancelled $175.6 million in student loans for 204 people during the first half of 2026, adding to $3.2 billion in loan forgiveness since 2024.
The government of Guyana invested heavily in education during this period, spending $85.4 billion of a $183.6 billion allocation in the first six months of the year. At the university level, the pre-medicine program expanded to all regions of the country, currently supporting 80 students, with over 400 applications pending.
The government also supported vocational training and skills development. The Board of Industrial Training trained 706 people in fields like heavy equipment operation and information technology, and began a drone and robotics program for 12 people with disabilities in Region Six. More than 3,800 people graduated from local and international institutions through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning. At the primary and secondary levels, Guyana completed construction on ten schools and continues work on over thirty more.
Over 1,700 teachers received professional development training, and another 2,000 are scheduled to graduate later in the year. The country is also distributing school grants and resources to over 1,100 schools, and providing meals to over 128,000 students through the National School Feeding Programme.
