Enrolment up at UWI Cave Hill campus

Student enrolment at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies is again ticking upwards.

This comes after years of decline following the 2014 decision of the former administration to have nationals pay their own tuition fees.

Enrolment is up 10 per cent over last year, Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Eudine Barriteau reported during the Campus’ matriculation ceremony held Friday evening.

This accounts for 4,839 undergraduate and postgraduate students, of which 440 are pursuing graduate programmes.

“Our tentative undergraduate enrolment data shows 33 per cent men, 67 per cent women, 83 per cent Barbadian and 17 per cent regional\international,” Barriteau said.

In further good news for the university, applications for post graduate studies are at the highest number for over five years, standing at 1,498.

Last year, this stood at 1,131.

Professor Barriteau expects the overall enrolment numbers to rise further, explaining, “Registration is ongoing. We lost a day and a half by wisely suspending all student activities in preparation for the Tropical Storm Dorian, and so we anticipate final numbers by the second week of September.”

Of note, 39 Barbados Scholarship and Exhibition winners applied to the university and were accepted. Of that amount, 20 accepted and 10 have registered to date.

The increase in enrolment is likely due to the decision by the Mia Mottley administration last year, following its election victory, to resume paying tuition fees for Barbadian students. (CW)