95% of $200 back-to-school assistance paid: Minister

The Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro has assured parents and guardians that 95 per cent of Government’s $200 Back-to-School Assistance payments have been completed, following widespread public concern over delays ahead of the new school year.

Mr Radrodro said payments had been successfully made for more than 190,000 students whose applications were submitted before the December 12, 2025 deadline, as verified by the Ministry of Finance.

He said the remaining five per cent of applications were delayed due to data and compliance issues, including incomplete or incorrect student information, late submission of forms by schools, and errors in school or parent data entry.

Ministry of Education staff are now carrying out a detailed verification process before the outstanding payments can be released.

Since Monday, January 19, the Ministry has processed more than 12,000 application forms and responded to over 20,000 emails and phone calls from parents and guardians seeking updates on their payments.

Mr Radrodro said the Ministry had taken over the verification and processing of outstanding applications to address delays caused by late submissions and incomplete information.

He assured parents and guardians that Ministry teams were working extended hours, including weekends, to clear verified applications and submit them to the Ministry of Finance for payment.

“I want to assure parents and guardians that no eligible student will be left behind,” Mr Radrodro said.

“Every valid application will be processed, and we are working closely with the Ministry of Finance to ensure payments are released as quickly as possible.”

The minister said once the current verification exercise was completed, the Ministry would turn its focus to Year 13 students who were still enrolling for the 2026 academic year to ensure they also received Government assistance.