H.E.L.P. Loans

The Ministry of Education – Funding and Grants Administration Division is responsible for the approval process which takes 6-8 weeks. They also provide instructions for the disbursement of approved funds.

• Accessible to citizens of Trinidad & Tobago 18 years and over for local or regional tertiary level GATE approved programmes only.
• Approvals for local students are up to a maximum of $35,000 and for regional students up to a maximum of $75,000 (per academic year).
• All costs to cover expenses for the academic year should be included, e.g. tuition (where applicable), books, accommodation, other materials, administrative expenses, living expenses or any other expense for which assistance may be required.
• Students must re-apply for each academic year that funding is required; for each new application updated documents must be submitted.
• For Full-time students, the loan is serviced by the Government during the period of study and repayment begins no later than 6 months after their final exams.
• Students in full-time employment are required to begin repayment of the loan immediately.
• Applications Forms can be collected and completed applications submitted to Republic Bank Limited, H.E.L.P. Loans Unit, 1st Floor, U.W.I. Branch, Corner Agostini Street and Tunnel Drive, St. Augustine.

Before visiting our branches, ensure you have completed the H.E.L.P Application Form and have the following documents:

One (1) form of National ID (Passport or National ID)
Birth Certificate
Acceptance Letter from institution
Transcript (Not applicable for first year students)
Student ID
Income Statement (Payslips, TD4s, etc. are required for every household income contributor. Self-employed persons are required to provide a signed letter to that effect.)
Utility Bill
Rent receipt/ Rental contract (If applicable)
Tution fee sheet
Living expenses (Breakdown if applicable)
Other expenses (Breakdown if applicable)
Booklist (If applicable)

Applications can be submitted to any one of our 41 locations and will be forwarded to our H.E.L.P Loans Unit at our UWI Branch.

Please note that detailed evidence must be provided for all requests. Additionally, applicants are required to walk with the originals of the above mentioned documents, in addition to the copies, when submitting your application.

Funds will not be provided for Laptops or Desktops as the Ministry sees this as an accessory and not a necessity.