Borrowers urged to repay student’s loan

The Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) is urging employed borrowers to honour their repayment obligations, noting that a significant number of persons who are working are still not making payments on their student loans.

Executive director of the SLB, Nickeisha Walsh, said data from the Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) database show that 87 per cent of borrowers are employed, yet 38 per cent made no payments in 2026.

Walsh said the situation is concerning, as the funds collected from repayments are used to support other students.

“What we’re doing is making the fund available so somebody else can have an opportunity,” she said.

She acknowledged that some borrowers face genuine financial difficulties but said others have the capacity to pay and fail to communicate with the Bureau.

“Ability to pay is not the same as willingness to pay,” she stated.

Walsh noted that borrowers may face genuine financial challenges, including underemployment, self-employment, income instability and competing obligations, adding that, “hardship can be real but the communication is what matters most”.

She encouraged borrowers experiencing difficulties to contact the SLB early, rather than allowing interest, late fees and other charges to accumulate.

“Engage early. Don’t wait until the interest is added up, the late fees are added up, and it’s now outsourced to a debt collector,”Walsh advised.