SLB approves $1.8 billion in loans for 2,793 students in 2025

In 2025, Jamaica's Students' Loan Bureau (SLB) disbursed $1.8 billion in loans to 2,793 students, enabling them to pursue tertiary education. The bureau received a total of 9,557 applications, with females constituting a significant majority of both applicants and successful recipients.

Beyond loans, the SLB also approved $169.4 million in Grant-in-Aid for 2,824 students, offering supplementary assistance for school-related expenses like books and maintenance. The approved loan recipients were primarily university students, with smaller numbers attending teacher's and community colleges.

The SLB operates as a government agency under the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, managing a revolving loan fund. The Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2025 highlighted the education sector's reliance on contributions from international development partners, private sector entities, and households.

Private sector involvement included significant financial contributions from organizations like the National Commercial Bank Foundation, which supported education through various programs, benefiting over 2,000 students with bursaries and grants totaling millions of dollars.

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The SLB provides financial assistance to eligible Jamaican students, and also offers grants to assist with the cost of books and maintenance to students who qualify for this added benefit.