CI$100k scholarship for top undergrad students
(CNS): Government has established the Cayman Scholar Award to provide full tuition support to the most outstanding Caymanian male and female students as they pursue overseas undergraduate studies. Starting this academic year, government will be giving two students, one male and one female, $100,000 per year to enable them to attend elite colleges around the world. Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said there had been occasions where the best Cayman students were unable to go to a top university despite their ability because they were short of money.
“Throughout the years, we have seen several brilliant Caymanian scholars who have missed out on the opportunity to attend some of the world’s most prestigious universities because of insufficient funding. Through this award, our top male and female student will each receive a scholarship of up to CI$100,000 per annum, allowing them to soar to the pinnacle of academic achievement without the barrier of funding, and enabling them to attend approved Ivy League or Gold Tiered Universities,” the minister said.
But all overseas students new and current can also look forward to an increase in their scholarship funding this autumn, as government is increasing the standard rate from CI$20,000 to CI$30,000. While students pursuing undergraduate studies in education focusing on classroom teaching will be eligible for up to CI$35,000 per year.
“The cost of attending US Universities has increased significantly during the past decade,” said Connolly. “The government saw the need to revise the current funding amount of CI$20,000 to further ease the financial burden that many of our parents face as they seek to educate their children.”
While fees for US universities can be exorbitant, fees for all British Overseas Territories Citizens attending university in the UK is capped at the same rate as for British students, which is £9,250 (around CI$10,663) for the year, even at Oxford or Cambridge.
The ministry said that post-secondary scholarship funding for students pursuing qualifications in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, the Advanced Placement (AP) programme and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) is also being extended to cover both years.
“Previously, two-year funding was limited to students pursuing Advanced Level (A level) and Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Level 3 extended diploma qualifications,” said the minister. “Students pursuing the IB Diploma, AP and CAPE programmes only benefited from funding in their second year of study. By extending funding throughout the duration of these three programmes, we can now provide greater assistance to our Caymanian students as well as provide parity across the system.”
For more information about the Cayman Scholar and other scholarships contact the
Scholarship Secretariat Unit by email at scholarships@gov.ky.
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Category: Education, Local News
Why are they not offering assistants to boarding school kid, who are top students? coming from the worst school in Cayman and grades up there, this should be look after. Sometime you wonder why some kids just turn to doing bad stuff it’s things like this, when you see a child want something is life try and help them, that’s what the government is for, why should a parent have to be out there begging for a help for her child?
Government should check its own archives: http://www.recruitment.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/cighome/pressroom/archive/200601/lewiscayscholar
Noting that the Cayman Scholar award program at that point was celebrating its 25th Anniversary, it’s a stretch to say it was “established” by government as opposed to resumed.
Sorry, I did not realise that every Caymanian child has a scholarship waiting for them if their grades are suitable. THAT WAS MY POINT.
11/@12:45pm – Of course, that is what I meant. Very unlikely that government school students will genuinely qualify.
Blacksheep – CIS hasn’t proved a track record as yet.
I cannot believe this is new to some people it’s a yearly thing and like 99% of the private scholarship the Government scholarships are only offered to Caymanians,
100% of scholarships should only be offered to Caymanians,
So children of expats who are in school in Cayman due to their parents jobs should be ignored and denied further education when their parent(s) cannot afford to pay the thousands of dollars needed? Many of these bright young people, several attaining the roles of Head Boy or Girl, and who contribute to society, should be discarded and left in the poverty trap? Sorry, but I consider that education should not be a privilege, dependent on where you were born or who you know, but a right and until society as a whole realises its value then at least private scholarships can go some way in raising the standards of the entire community and ensuring that future generations are better prepared to deal with the issues they will face as adults in an increasingly complex and uncertain future.
You choose to live in someone country – (w/p ?? P/R? Status?) – well you should be self sufficient. In fact when your child/children become of age they should look to their country for their education.
You all expect Cayman to accommodate everyone and everything – IMPOSSiBLE.
PACT needs to start making arrangements for the most of you!
I am 100% in support of this initiative provided that the selection process is non-political and transparent and further that all grants are provided only on a means tested basis following acceptance at institutions that are clearly in the top 20 in the world. Otherwise the probability that these scholarships will become ‘party favours’ or perhaps I should write ‘independent favours’ for the undeserving is too great.
“Gold Tiered University” – Google the term – it does not exist outside of this scholarship program which gives lots of room for money to go to people with the right connections – bought or otherwise.
University of Hawaii is supposed to be the best party school. Can I get $100,000 to go there?
You can if you are the son or daughter of the right person.
Are there any Bible colleges that qualify for the $100,000?
Happy Birthday Me – so I can choose the easiest subject I can find at the college or university with the lowest standards I can find and government will pay me $30K for an 8 month academic year. Best deal ever!
So are people who choose to go to online ‘universities’ and places with no meaningful accreditation able to get this money? Who says which institutions qualify for that level of funding?
I will stay tuned for how the selection process for this works
Just watch – someone with connections will get CI$ 100,000 per year to study basket weaving and bar hopping at the East-West North-South Community College of Miami – Dadeland Mall campus.
Clearly the moderator as usual tends to state the whole picture. It clearly states on the Gov website it will be for first-tier and ivy league universities. Typical CNS always leaving out picture. This is the normal for this website. There are many inferior UK universities also not sure why that always left out. I heard someone was attending a university in the UK called Bath Spa or something. Please everyone go to one actual government website and read the full press release. Even Marl Road is less biased.
CNS: Again, please learn the difference between the journalist who writes the articles and the moderator who goes through he comments, so that everyone knows what you are talking about. And please stop lying or learn to read. The part about it being for for first-tier and ivy league universities is a quote from the minister which is included in the article. Everything in the press release is there in the CNS article if you take the time to look before spouting off nonsense. Honestly, I’m not even sure if you know why you’re angry. Your comment is an incoherent mess.
Students in the UK try to get into the best university that they can based on their grades. This means that you can’t go to Oxford or Cambridge or any other top tiered university because you want to. But there are many many universities that offer excellent degree courses. Here are the league tables. But Caymanian students must compete on the same level. A Caymanian student with bad grades, just like a UK student with bad grades, will not get into a top university.
However, the UK government has ensured that all universities, even the best ones, are priced about the same, unlike in the US where there is a huge price difference. The UK government has extended this to BOTCs, including Caymanians, a courtesy subsidized by the UK tax payer.
Bath Spa University isn’t in the top ranks but it is an actual university and you are unjustly denigrating the students who go there by pretending that it isn’t. See here for its current rankings. I hope this helps.
Funds are paid for identifiable expenses, like tuition and accomodation. So a student taking a qualified course would get funds based on expenses. So maybe online tuition costs. A scholarship is for UP TO $30K. Grades have to be maintained, etc.
Are there any age limits – I am nearly 70 and don’t have a pension but I would be happy to sign up to do the IB for $35000 per year.
No clown, you should research what the IB program is instead of making idiotic remarks. Typical CNS comment when it comes to scholarships and Caymanians earning scholarships. Not everyone wants to attend universities in the UK especially those ones that lack real accreditations again something the moderator has left out.
CNS: Please learn the difference between the journalist who writes the articles and the moderator who goes through he comments, so that everyone knows what you are talking about. Secondly, explain what you mean by “UK especially those ones that lack real accreditations”. Name one such institution in the UK that a Caymanian on a government scholarship has attended.
I would venture to say that the recipients will likely be students of Cayman Prep or Catholic. Basing my opinion on those schools’ track records.
Cis
Well, they consistently produce the top performing students so they are most likely to be eligible!
Not unless they are a) Caymanian and b) connected ( which is pretty likely if they went to CIS, Prep or St Ig. )
This is good but free tertiary education for all would be better and to tackle inequality.
I agree but only to the extent that what qualifies as tertiary education is limited to institutions where meaningful degrees are earned through real work and not just bought.
If it were up to most of the CNS crowd, which are predominantly white and expatriate trust, not one Caymanian would be worthy of a government scholarship what these idiots keep forgetting. They are the ones that ask for the best candidates, and when the Caymanian attends ICCI and UCCI, they will state the education is inferior. When they attend US top-tiered universities, it’s low; when they hear the best universities in Canada, the same thing. When they participate in certain UK universities, they are not “Red Brick”, meaning ivy league level. So it doesn’t matter it’s a mere fact the Caymanians can one day compete for their jobs or take jobs away from their kids.
CNS: See my note on one of other comments for a fuller explanation. Caymanian students can go to the top UK universities if they get the grades at school but it is very very competitive. They can’t go because they are Caymanians.
6:45, as a Caymanian that attended UCCI as well as a university in the US, I can tell you there is no comparison in quality! UCCI was grossly inferior. The education level and relevant experience of “professors” there was minimal.
If this is a similar scholarship as the one Dart offers, there is no point, these scholarships tend to be given to the children of rich parents who are financial well off or are given to children’s parents based on where they work. These tend to be very internally political.
You can find a list of the recipients here. https://dartscholar.ky/scholars
At first glance, I’d venture to say that about 80% of their parents would disagree.
Interesting list of fine young people, 3:10. A lot of children of so called “new Caymanians” and of one Caymanian/one foreigner parents. Nothing wrong with that. That’s how countries grow – from the efforts of ambitious parents and their hard working ambitious kids.
Means tested presumably?
Best laugh of the day so far. – politically/friends & family tested more likely.
Re-establishing I think they mean. (Not that the first Cayman Scholar scholarship programme stuck around very long so they can be forgiven for forgetting; it was probably before their time at the Ministry)
I don’t think it’s reestablishing since the Government scholarship programs happens on a yearly basis the amount is just increasing and new components added
The reference is to the fact that there previously was a Cayman Scholar distinct from the general scholarship awardees. This appears to have fallen away for awhile and is now therefore being re-established. When it was first in existence, it was only awarded to the “top” student, singular, rather than the top male and top female students, as will be the case now.
So glad we can now provide additional public funding for students at CIS to obtain their IB Diplomas…
The private sector have offered dozens of generous scholarships every year for many years but sometimes they struggle to find a local student with sufficiently good grades.
So what constitutes “local” to you ? You do realize that means everyone present on island and not just Caymanians right ?
7.05pm You want it spelled out – Caymanians, obviously they are preferred as many really do need financial assistance when compared with the expat students.
The scholarships are only offered to Caymanians
The scholarships are only offered to Caymanians
I take it this is only applicable to caymanian students but does it include students from the elite schools in Cayman…
If Caymanian students can attend Oxford or Cambridge for CI$11K per year, why is anyone allowed to go to a US College for US$75/80,000 per year?
because America has the MONEY
Yeah because you give it to them in stupid college fees.
Many of which aren’t even contributed to operating costs or instructor salaries.
And 100,000 a year will enable the recipients to live like kings and queens.
So you are saying the Government should enforce that if you receive a Government scholarship you MUST go to the UK?
Idiotic in premise and rationale.
Why not just send them t UCCI for less than 11k then?
No but the student would only receive up to CI$30K towards the US$80K per year. Assuming they keep up their grades.
So the difference has to be paid by others/parents.
Except for the top 2 students. So UK offers a better option.
Sorry to say but the clients and connections attend Havard, Yale, NYU, Duke, UoT in Canada….some at Oxford and Cambridge but they are mostly in the European circuit, we run in the piston cup!
Somebody forgot to advise Alden he was chasing the wrong clients and markets.
Because multiple choice questions are so much easier than the demands of intellect at UK universities.
If you know nothing you have, at best, a 25% percent shot a success though an A-D multiple choice exam.. It’s a pathetic way to somehow boast superiority.
Way better parties dude.
12:45pm, not everyone is interested in going to the UK. I certainly wasn’t. I chose a US university that cost was pretty close to my annual scholarship amount. However, I would have gotten student loans for US study before going to the UK.
Great to have the choice – when it isn’t you money easy to decide to spend more on an equivalent degree because you prefer the weather, culture or proximity to home.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Long overdue and the government has not gone far enough. Considering the kind of money that Cayman has and the amount they were willing to throw away on a port, there is no reason why the government should not be in a position to make a guarantee to every Caymanian child that if they keep their grades up they will receive a full scholarship for undergraduate and post graduate studies. Think of the generation of kids lost between 2000 to today due to this inaction.
You do know this happens on a yearly basis, they have now just increased from $20,000 & $30,000 to $30,000 & 35,000 and add the $100,000 component
The publishing of the names of the first recipients will tell us all we need to know about this. Stay tuned.
Nice!