~Initiatives being studied to attract students back home~

PHILIPSBURG--A total of 235 students have applied for government study financing to pursue tertiary studies for the upcoming academic year.

Education Minister Dr. Rhoda Arrindell also announced on Wednesday that government is "working very hard" to put in place initiatives to have study financing applicants return home following their studies.

"We are working very hard to put in place initiatives to bring them back after they conclude their studies. We will be working in close collaboration with other ministries and the private sector to review our priorities list for study financing and to come up with effective means of luring them back to the island," Arrindell said.

"Definitely, what we cannot continue to do is to finance their studies for other countries which may not need them as much as we do, to take advantage of their newly-acquired expertise [St. Maarten ed.] needs its own to return to build the new nation we all want for our future generations."

Of the 235 applications received, 106 are from students interested in pursuing studies in The Netherlands, 62 for the United States and 67 for studies in the region: including Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten.

The Division of Study Financing is currently processing all the applications, following which it will submit its findings to the Study Financing Committee, before it is sent to the minister for final approval.

Arrindell also announced that St. Maarten student Jagdeo Gumbs is currently at the Monroe College in New York, as the first recipient of a full scholarship from the College resulting from the Memorandum of Understanding signed with that institution last year.

Gumbs left to further his studies at Monroe College last month. Arrindell said she is confident that other deserving students will soon follow in his footsteps.