00:00Families awaiting assistance with back-to-school expenses could begin receiving payments as early as next week.
00:07The Ministry of Education says it has completed the initial review of all 45,953 applications received for the 2026
00:18School Supplies and Book Grant.
00:20The applications came from students at approximately 668 schools and educational institutions across the country.
00:29But before payments are made, the Ministry says final verification checks must be completed to confirm eligibility and ensure assistance
00:38reaches the most vulnerable applicants.
00:41Approximately 10,000 applications are expected to complete final verification by Friday, with the remaining applications expected to be processed
00:49by September 2nd.
00:51The Ministry says priority will be given to unemployed applicants, low-income households, families with multiple dependents, applicants with children
01:00with special needs and those receiving government assistance.
01:04The volume of applications is significantly higher, the Ministry says, than previous grant exercises, with the Ministry also working with
01:13a shorter implementation time frame.
01:16Applications opened on June 22nd and closed on July 11th.
01:21For successful applicants, the amount paid will depend on the student's class level during the 2025-2026 academic year.
01:30In Fund 1 through Standard 5 students are eligible for $1,000.
01:35Students entering Form 2 in September will receive $500.
01:40All students entering Form 1 as well as Form 3 through Upper 6 will receive $1,000.
01:46The Ministry says the $500 allocation for Form 2 students takes into account the provision of six books with embedded
01:55learning support designed for use with their laptops.
01:58Parents and guardians are invited to track their applications through the Ministry's online portal and will also receive email updates
02:06on their application status and payment information.
02:10The Ministry says information on check distribution and other updates will be communicated through its official channels as the process
02:18continues.
02:18For families preparing for the new school year, the key date is now September 2nd when payments to successful applicants
02:26are expected to begin.
02:28Schools reopen on September 7th.
02:31Ravishi Tomori Rupnarein, TV6 News.
