Liberia: Eric Giko Provides L$140,000 Long-Term Financial Aid for 2026 Semester One at LICOSESS - FrontPageAfrica

PLEEBO, Maryland County— Former Maryland County Senatorial Candidate Eric Wlea Giko has extended L$140,000 in long-term financial aid to more than 20 struggling students at the LICOSESS College of Education, Maryland County Site, as tuition assistance for the 2026 academic year, Semester One.

By: Peter P. Toe, Jr.Peterp.toe@frontpageafricaonline.com

The intervention forms part of an ongoing scholarship program designed to support student-teachers and strengthen access to higher education for young people facing financial challenges.

The assistance was officially presented on Saturday, May 16, 2026, through a delegation of the Friends of Giko, led by its chairman, Alex Bai Davis. The bank receipt covering the full L$140,000 tuition payment was also formally delivered to the administration of LICOSESS on the same day.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Mr. Davis said the scholarship initiative is a structured long-term program targeting students in teacher training institutions, with a focus on building the next generation of educators.

He noted that teacher education remains a priority because of its direct impact on national development and human capacity building.

“We have been supporting these students consistently, and this L$140,000 covers their 2026 Semester One academic year under the long-term financial aid program,” Davis said. “Our focus is to ensure that student-teachers remain in school and complete their training.”

He added that similar financial aid is also being extended to students at William V.S. Tubman University in Maryland County and a midwifery training institution in Grand Gedeh County as part of the broader education support initiative.

Davis encouraged beneficiaries to remain focused on their studies despite economic challenges, emphasizing that education remains a key pathway to national transformation.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Susannah Y. Sieh, a student at LICOSESS College of Education, expressed gratitude to Mr. Giko for his continuous support, noting that many students would have been forced out of school without such intervention.

“Many students would not have been able to remain in school without such assistance. We are grateful to Mr. Giko. This is not the first of its kind,” she said.

On behalf of the administration, Richard S. Teah commended the initiative, describing it as timely and essential to the survival of many students’ academic pursuits.

He said the support is not only relieving financial pressure but also restoring confidence among students who were uncertain about completing their studies.

“This initiative goes beyond tuition payment,” Teah said. “It is restoring hope, strengthening determination, and ensuring that future teachers remain in the classroom.”