The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has announced it will waive Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examination fees and refund parents who have already paid.
Education Minister Daryll Matthew made the announcement on Wednesday, saying refunds will be issued by next Monday.
Matthew, the Member of Parliament for St. John’s Rural South, revealed the decision while presenting his ministry’s plans for 2026. He said the government will assume responsibility for approximately EC$1.25 million in annual CXC examination fees.
Although the payment deadline for CXC exams passed about a week and a half ago and students had already paid, Matthew said Cabinet decided that all funds would be returned.
“I’ve given instructions to the Ministry of Education and the exams office here to return the funds to the schools. The schools will have a register of which students paid what,” Matthew said.
“Before Christmas, you’ll have another reason to smile because you will receive those funds back and the government will undertake to ensure that the $1.2 million that our students accrue in CXC payments every year will be borne by the government of Antigua and Barbuda,” he added.
Matthew also announced a major policy shift affecting Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), removing all barriers to entry at the institution, including academic and financial requirements.
“There should be no barrier to entry to ABCAS, neither a financial barrier nor an academic barrier. Anyone should be able to walk in off the street and go and register once a programme is being offered,” he said.
He explained that students who are deficient in specific subject areas will be placed in remedial programmes to bring them up to acceptable standards, ensuring broader access to education.
Additionally, Matthew said the Ministry of Education has entered into an agreement with The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus to establish a matriculation pathway for ABCAS students into the tertiary institution.
