NATIONAL Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB), through the NCB Foundation, has paid in full the CXC/CSEC examination fees for students who will be sitting the Principles of Accounts (POA) and Principles of Business (POB) examinations in May 2013. This year, $9.5-m was paid to supplement the fees of 4,374 students from 113 schools across the island.

Since the inception of the CXC/CSEC POA and POB Fee Sponsorship Programme in 2003, more than 70,000 student entries have been funded by the NCB Foundation.

The programme was established to assist students, at the secondary level in meeting the minimum qualification requirement for entry to a tertiary institution.

To be accepted into a tertiary institution, students must have passed a minimum of five CXC subjects; currently the Ministry of Education provides subsidies for four subjects. The foundation’s commitment to pay for both POA and POB therefore helps qualified students to sit a total of at least six subjects free of cost.

The NCB Foundation continues its unwavering commitment to education through financial contributions and volunteer support in schools. Education is the gateway for young people from all socioeconomic backgrounds to become successful citizens and contributors to the future of our nation.

To qualify for the programme, schools must have a 90 per cent sit rate in the respective subject areas and the qualified students’ averages in both subject areas must be 70 per cent or higher.