BOTH new and returning students enrolled at select universities can now apply to the Sagicor Foundation’s 2020 scholarship programme for funds to cover tuition expenses.

The foundation, which is the charitable arm of Sagicor Group Jamaica, provides scholarships to tertiary and secondary students across the island.

According to Alysia White, the foundation’s executive director, the scholarship programme is an avenue through which the organisation can invest in the country’s future and assist young Jamaicans in achieving their dreams through education.

“Education is a key component of our focus at Sagicor Foundation. Through this initiative, we hope to ignite a passion for learning among our youth, allowing them to achieve their full potential and contribute meaningfully to the development of our country,” she said in a release.

Under the programme, tertiary scholarships valued at up to $300,000 are awarded to both new and returning students enrolled at select universities to cover tuition expenses.

To qualify, the release said applicants must be pursuing or have been accepted to pursue an undergraduate degree at any of the following institutions: The University of the West Indies, Mona; University of Technology, Jamaica; Northern Caribbean University; Caribbean Maritime University; The Mico University College; Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts; and University of the Commonwealth Caribbean.

Tertiary scholarship applications are accepted online via the Sagicor Foundation website at www.sagicorfoundationscholarships.com. The scholarships are awarded based on merit, financial need, community involvement, and leadership potential.

The foundation’s secondary scholarships are awarded to sixth-grade students whose parents subscribe to the Government Employee Administrative Services Only and Commercial Health policies administered by Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited. The scholarships, valued at $50,000 each, are renewable for up to five years if students maintain an average of 80 per cent.

This year, according to the release, the scholarships will be granted using the results from the grade four numeracy and literacy examinations sat in 2018, the grade five performance task done in 2019, and the grade six ability test completed in February 2020.

As Sagicor Group Jamaica celebrates its 50th anniversary, White said the company’s support of national development is entrenched in its vision — to be a great company committed to improving the lives of people in the communities it serves — which underpins the foundation’s commitment to education.

The scholarships are being offered to Sagicor clients and/or their children, and children of Sagicor team members. Applications for the tertiary scholarships will close on July 13, 2020, while the secondary scholarship application period closed on June 30.