A total of 14,064 citizens have been awarded scholarships for 2026 through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), lifting the cumulative number of awards issued between 2021 and 2026 to 54,627.
In a press release, the Academy said the 2026 figure marks its highest annual total since the initiative began, continuing a year-on-year rise in awards from 6,280 in 2021 to 7,410 in 2022, 7,752 in 2023, 8,316 in 2024, 10,805 in 2025, and 14,064 in 2026.
The latest scholarships were awarded across several academic tracks, with a focus on vocational and foundation-level opportunities.
A total of 4,960 scholarships were awarded for vocational certificates, while 4,452 were issued for the Get Ready for Opportunities to Work (GROW) programme. In addition, 1,761 Master’s scholarships and 1,652 Bachelor’s scholarships were awarded, alongside 365 diplomas and 186 associate degrees. Another 688 awards were issued for progression from GROW to a Bachelor’s degree.
GROW, according to GOAL, is a six-to-nine-month pre-university foundation programme aimed at persons who did not complete secondary school or did not secure the required Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) passes.
Once the programme is completed, scholars are automatically placed into a bachelor’s degree programme at one of GOAL’s partner institutions.
In the regional breakdown, Region Four recorded the highest number of awardees at 6,145. Region Three followed with 2,188 awardees, while Region Six recorded 1,760. Region Two accounted for 1,041 awards, Region Five for 773, and Region 10 for 760.
Meanwhile, Region Seven had 432 awardees, Region One had 363, Region Nine had 338, and Region Eight had 264.
Women accounted for the majority of awardees, with 10,520 females receiving scholarships compared to 3,544 males.
Award numbers rose for both genders, with female awardees increasing from 7,801 to 10,520 and male awardees from 3,004 to 3,544.
Every administrative region recorded higher totals than in 2025, including Region One moving from 292 to 363, Region Two from 809 to 1,041, Region Three from 1,514 to 2,188, Region Four from 4,984 to 6,145, Region Five from 711 to 773, Region Six from 1,173 to 1,760, Region Seven from 250 to 432, Region Eight from 103 to 264, Region Nine from 238 to 338, and Region 10 from 731 to 760.
GOAL Director Professor Jacob Opadeyi congratulated recipients, saying, “Each year we see more Guyanese stepping forward to upgrade their qualifications. These figures show that people are using the opportunities that GOAL provides to move ahead in their studies and careers.”
Seven new partner institutions were added for the 2026 cycle, bringing the total number of partner institutions to 28. The new additions are The New Guyana School and New Horizon Educational Institution in Guyana; Saint James School of Medicine in St Vincent and the Grenadines; and in the United States, Lewis University, International University of Miami, and Miles Education.
Persons who missed the 2026 cycle can apply when the scholarship portal reopens in May 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to prepare their documents early and to follow GOAL’s official Facebook page for updates and instructions.
