The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill Campus is facing a steady decline in Barbadian student enrollment, forcing the university to rethink its strategy to remain viable in an increasingly competitive global education market.
During a report presentation on Friday, UWI Cave Hill Principal, Professor Clive Landis, revealed that while overall student registration remains stable, the number of Barbadian students enrolling at UWI is gradually decreasing.
He suggested that this shift reflects broader demographic patterns, including an ageing population and declining birth
rates.
In contrast, enrolment from the UWI’s 14 other Caribbean contributing countries—such as Trinidad and Jamaica—has reached its highest level in five years, representing some five per cent of the student population.
Non-contributing Caribbean students and international students are also enrolling in increasing numbers, prompting UWI to accelerate its international recruitment efforts.
Speaking to reporters after presenting his report, Professor Landis acknowledged that UWI is maximising global student mobility, particularly as some students reconsider studying in the United States.
“We are very aware that some students will not be comfortable going to the US. I remember in the first Trump presidency, we had students who were in their second year at a US university, and they came back here saying: ‘We no longer feel comfortable. We want to continue our studies here,’” he recalled.
Professor Landis noted that this presents an opportunity for UWI to attract a new wave of international students.
“We don’t bemoan the world we live in. We adapt to the playing field that exists, and we think it actually tilts in some ways in our favour,” he said.
As part of its strategy to counter declining local enrolment, UWI has turned its attention to attracting more students from Africa, extending its lower Caribbean tuition rates to students from the continent.
“With great commendation, we have witnessed the momentum for closer collaboration between the African continent and the Caribbean,” Professor Landis said.
“So we, as a university, have deliberately targeted African students as our lead international student market.”
The initiative, which has been in place since last year, allows African students to pay the same lower tuition rates as those from UWI’s 15 contributing Caribbean nations.
When asked if this policy was exclusive to Ghanaian students, Professor Landis clarified that while there is a separate price structure for a joint medical programme with Ghana, the reduced tuition fees apply to students across the African continent.
“The Ghanaian programme, because it’s a medical degree programme, has a completely separate price structure. But the general prices—the lower fees equivalent for Caribbean students—are what we’re offering across Africa,” he said.
UWI, like many universities worldwide, operates on a tiered tuition structure, with contributing Caribbean students paying lower fees than their international counterparts.
“Most universities around the world have different rates—one for local students and another for international students. For example, at Ohio State University, there’s an in-state rate, a higher rate for out-of-state students, and an even higher rate for international students. UWI follows a similar model,” Professor. Landis said.
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