THE American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) has provided J$3.6 million towards scholarships at the University of the West Indies (UWI), for the coming academic year.

The money represents proceeds from the AFUWI Legacy Awards 2009 Gala, the organisation’s premier fund-raising event, which is hosted in New York each January.

AFUWI is a non-profit foundation which since 1998 has recognised individuals and organisations “linked to the Caribbean who have made exceptional contributions to the world around them”.

Michael Flanigan, AFUWI chairman, presented the scholarship cheque on behalf of AFUWI to UWI vice-chancellor, Professor E Nigel Harris on May 1.

Noting that each year, hundreds of worthy applicants apply for scholarships at the UWI, Harris praised AFUWI for “widening the window of opportunity for many deserving scholars”. Harris said that it was with the co-operation of organisations like AFUWI and generous corporate donors that the UWI can ensure those in challenging circumstances get a tertiary education.

Flanigan noted that AFUWI has regularly facilitated donations and scholarships from individuals and corporations overseas for the UWI and its students, and last year presented 30 scholarships, valued at over J$12,240,000, to individual UWI students for tuition and books.