Gibraltarians and long-term residents ‘have nothing to worry about’ on university grants, Govt says as political row continues

Gibraltarians and long-term residents who meet the criteria for university grants “have nothing to worry about”, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said on Friday, amid a political row triggered by changes aimed at curbing abuse of the system.

Mr Picardo was speaking after the Government caused confusion earlier this week when it emailed private schools alerting them of significant changes to the grants system.

That caused concern for many parents of children who attend those schools, including some poised to sit exams in May and feared not being able to access public funding for university courses.

Parents, students and teachers said the announcement - and its manner and timing - had caused unnecessary stress at a critical time for many students.

Despite initial guidance issued to parents and students saying the changes were to come in effect from September 2025 and they would have to apply for discretionary grants, the Government later said the criteria was not yet finalised.

That prompted criticism from the Opposition, which accused Mr Picardo of “backtracking garble” in his explanation of the policy during a GBC interview on Thursday.

In his interview with the broadcaster, Mr Picardo said: “It’s an issue that will affect potentially children also in the state sector…we wanted to explain that this change was coming.”

“No one who is a Gibraltarian, or a long-term resident of Gibraltar who has properly registered and is properly contributing will find that their children will not get a scholarship whichever school they are going to, or no school if they are home-schooled,” he added.

Amid the ongoing political row, parents of children at Prior Park private school on Thursday said in a statement that the proposed policy was discriminatory and unconstitutional, adding they were seeking legal advice.

But in a letter sent by the school to parents on Friday, school representatives said they held a “positive and collegiate” meeting with Dr John Cortes, the Minister for Education, where they were assured that the Government did not intend to negatively impact students at the school and their grants.

“Any further eligibility criteria that HMGoG may implement to achieve its stated wider policy goals (of ensuring that no-one misuses the generous benefits available in Gibraltar) that may be announced, will not disadvantage those who choose to educate their children in an independent school in Gibraltar,” the letter said.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with HMGoG to ensure Prior Park families, and indeed those families in other independent schools, who have been concerned about potential impacts of any HMGoG policy changes, are treated equally alongside all Gibraltarians.”

POLITICAL EXCHANGES

On Friday, the GSD urged the Government to provide clarity on the matter and accused Mr Picardo of backtracking after the public backlash.

“The GSLP Government should clearly commit to the principle that all Gibraltar schools will remain within the scope of the same eligibility criteria for scholarship awards whatever anti-fraud mechanisms they adopt,” the statement said.

“Additionally, they should unequivocally confirm that there will be no distinctions made between the access of resident children of Gibraltarians and long-term residents to mandatory or discretionary scholarships based only on what school in Gibraltar they attend.”

The Opposition said Mr Picardo’s GBC interview was “just a painful 11 minutes of garble, waffle and contradictions in terms”.

“The backtracking is so pronounced that we are now asked to believe that the Government intended this all along and everyone has misunderstood.”

“Presumably the misunderstanding extended to the civil servants who excluded children from the presentation on mandatory awards on Monday or informed children in writing that their entitlement to mandatory awards had been revoked and to the head teacher who was aghast at the announcement or even the Minister for Education who has been painfully quiet and whose department prepared new criteria in writing in the student handbooks that excluded certain children,” the statement added.

The GSD said those who missed out on an informative scholarship presentation on Monday should be given the courtesy of another presentation “if it is true that all children are entitled in the same way”.

Keith Azopardi, the Leader of the Opposition, said: “The reason for all these word games of the Chief Minister is simply because the GSLP he presides can never admit it gets things wrong; it’s always the GSD’s fault and he thinks he can word-salad himself out of every situation.”

“Time and again he treats us to this verbal nonsense.”

“The public see through it. If he really wants to allay concerns he should publish the criteria and make sure it applies equally to all students. Without equivocation or contradictions. Students and parents deserve better.”

The Opposition’s statement prompted a response from the Government, in which it said the GSD “deliberately sow misunderstanding on scholarships” which has caused “unnecessary concern among students and parents only to serve their own inconsistent political agenda”.

The Government said the filters being introduced for scholarships are designed to root out unfairness and ensure that all eligible students receive the support they are entitled to, both for their tuition fees and living expenses.

It added that those in private schools have not been singled out.

“A review of the criteria that would allow a mandatory scholarship to be granted automatically also affects some students attending the state schools,” the statement said.

“However, it is important to reiterate that Gibraltarians and long-term residents of Gibraltar who meet the existing eligibility criteria have nothing to worry about.”

The Government then accused the Opposition of “trying to make political capital by advocating for the opposite”.

“For years the GSD have been calling for financial prudence and an end to what they deem a ‘culture of entitlement’.”

“As is their standard practice, they don’t know what they believe, so they try to sow disbelief among others.”

In the statement, Mr Picardo said that the Leader of the Opposition is never happy when people are happy with the Government.

“He is only happy when he can sow fear and confusion in an attempt to prejudice people against the GSLP/Liberals,” Mr Picardo said.

“Now that his facile attempts to do so on the issue of eligibility for scholarships have failed, despite his incendiary, untrue commentary, Mr Azopardi returns to his sullen approach to everything which involves constant, unconstructive criticism.”

He added that the Government will take no notice of the GSD and “continue to do the right thing for Gibraltar and its people”.