short of the number required to be eligible for one, it was learned yesterday.

But Education Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons defended the strict requirements needy students must meet before he will hand them a cheque.

His Ministry "carefully investigated'' the 20-year-old Clark Atlanta University student's case after she went public earlier this week, he said.

And he felt compelled to comment on the case because the Education Ministry "was proud of the efficiency of its financial assistance programme''.

Mr. Simons said while he was pleased the young woman had found enough money to continue her teacher training education, she simply had not qualified for financial assistance from Government.

He said that even with her transcripts from Morris Brown University, which she first attended, she had only 56 credits when she needed 60 to be eligible.

Mr. Simons said Government devised and maintained such a rigid system because it wanted to ensure the Bermuda College was supported and Bermudians were not encouraged to go abroad for their college education.

"We don't want to subsidise a local institution and then pay Bermudians not to use it,'' he said.

He added his Ministry did not provide funds for students to pursue programmes of study abroad if the programmes were available at Bermuda College.

And, disputing a disgruntled father's claims, Mr. Simons said that completing two years of post-secondary education was an across-the-board requirement for a loan or grant.

Almost anyone seeking financial aid from Government must have successfully completed two years of college or the equivalent, he pointed out.

The father, who did not want to be named, had blasted the requirement saying Bermudians studying to be lawyers or accountants did not seem to have a problem securing aid.

He said students studying to be teachers should be given priority for awards or loans because they would be returning to the Island to work in Government's schools.

But Mr. Simons said Government had specially created eight teacher training awards to show its support for Bermudians wanting to be teachers.

The 20-year-old student from Somerset, who is hoping to get a BA degree in middle school teaching, was able to return to university this week following a flood of offers from residents and the business community to help pay her tuition.

The offers poured in, after -- in a desperate attempt to find enough money to return to university tomorrow -- she complained to The Royal Gazette that her plight was a damning indictment on Government's talk about helping the young.

Her application for a $5,000 loan had been turned down by Government on New Year's Eve, leaving her with just a week to find the money to fund her first semester at Clark Atlanta. The former Bermuda College student, said her application had been turned down because she did not have enough university credits, and also claimed education officials were not informed of all the credits she received.

The Hon. Gerald Simons.