The H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) has been facing financial woes as far back as 2013 under the now ousted National Democratic Party (NDP) administration but has seen a positive change in financial support under the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government. Photo: VINO/File

Since the Andrew A. Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government took office, financial hardships being faced by the H Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) have ended, according to Chairman of the Board of Governors at HLSCC, Mr John M. Samuel. Photo: VINO

Mr Samuel said the VIP government has “been very supportive” in that regard.

“Even through COVID-19 we have not had any budget cuts,” he remarked to members of the press on Thursday, July 16, 2020.

He continued: “We have not had any financial issues whatsoever since the new board came in and I can speak to that factually, prior I can’t speak to what the issues were. So we have been able to continue to keep the staff and keep the programmes running. That’s a thing of the past.”

Mr Samuel was at the time responding to questions on the state of affairs of the college, which has been riddled with money troubles in the past.

He was appointed Chairman of the Board in June 2019.

$$$ strapped 

The college has been facing financial woes as far back as 2013 under the now ousted National Democratic Party (NDP) administration.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said during his budget debate in April 2019, that the challenges were because the subvention from the government was slashed from $11 million to $8 million.

From those funds, the college had to offer free tuition to some students, which the premier said came up to about $2 million that had to be paid separately.

“Which brings them down to $5 million and change. I was wondering how come the children up there writing without desks, and now I come to understand that the college is — and I quote the words of the acting President: ‘on life support’.”

To continue operations, the premier added that the college had to “cut programmes, cut staff, cut nearly everything there, except the grass,” adding that the HLSCC’s financial standing at the time was putting its accreditation in jeopardy.

The college was originally established in 1990 as the British Virgin Islands Community College under the College Act, 1990. The institution was subsequently renamed in favour of H. Lavity Stoutt, first Chief Minister of the Virgin Islands and founding chairman of the College's Board of Governors