SCHOLARSHIP SUMMARY: The Archbishop Samuel Carter Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship in honor of the Archbishop Lawrence A. Burke, S.J.
Applications are invited for a postgraduate scholarship in honor of Archbishop Lawrence A. Burke, S.J., offered by the Archbishop Samuel Carter Education Foundation to pursue a course of study, full time or part time, at the University of the West Indies, tenable from August 2020.
The Archbishop Samuel E. Carter Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship is valued at up to J$650,000 towards covering the cost for tuition. Some of the scholarship criteria includes but not limited to a first degree with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.7. The applicant must be an active member of a Denomination of the Jamaica Council of Churches.
Successful candidates must provide proof of acceptance to the course of study and will be expected to work in Jamaica for at least two (2) years upon completion of the course of study.
Application forms are available at the website: www.archbishopcarterfoundation.org.
Applications must be supported by three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the applicant’s Pastor. Completed Archbishop Samuel E. Carter Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship application forms should be returned to:
The Chairman | Archbishop Samuel E. Carter Education Foundation | Chancery Office, Box 43, Kingston 6 | by July 31, 2020.
About the Archbishop Samuel E. Carter Foundation
The Archbishop Samuel E. Carter, S.J. Foundation Fellowship was officially launched at a Solemn High Mass at Holy Cross Church, Kingston, Jamaica on July 31, 2003, the Feast of St. Ignatius, Founder of the Jesuit Order and the 84th birthday of Archbishop Carter.
Presiding at this liturgy were: Most Rev. Donald J. Reece, Bishop of St. John’s-Basseterre, Antigua, and homilist. Concelebrants included: Most Rev. Lawrence A. Burke, S.J., Archbishop of Nassau, Bahamas, Most Rev. Edgerton R. Clarke, Archbishop of Kingston, Most Rev. Charles H. Dufour, Bishop of Montego Bay, Very Rev. James Webb, S. J., Regional Superior of the Society of Jesus in Jamaica and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Very Rev. William C. Russell, S.J., Rector of Jesuit Community at Campion College, other priests of the Archdiocese of Kingston and Deacons.
The Foundation named in honor of Archbishop Samuel E. Carter, S.J., is designed to ensure that the life and good works of this prophet of God will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of us as a people and as a Nation. To that effect, the Foundation may award on an annual basis, no more than two graduate fellowships tenable at the University of the West Indies, the University of Technology, and/or any other fully accredited institution of higher education in the English Speaking Caribbean in fields of studies the Board of Trustees consider appropriate.
With an initial endowment of $1.2 million dollars by a close friend, the Archbishop Carter Foundation, under the auspices of the Society of Jesus, is governed by a Seven member Board of Trustees whose Chairman shall be the Jesuit Regional Superior or his designee. The two fellowships to be awarded annually, shall initially be for graduate studies. Recipients shall be those who best manifest the core values and commitment to service that were so much a part of this great son of Jamaica.
The Society of Jesus, the religious order in which Archbishop Carter spent fifty eight years of his life ministering to the people of God, accepted the proposal outlining the intentions of the donor for the management and governance of the Foundation. There is no institution more appropriate than the Jesuit Order itself to accept, manage, and govern this Foundation in memory of one of its most illustrious sons.
The Jesuits and the Board of Trustees will ensure that these initial funds and those to be donated by others, will be invested in a secure and well established financial institution with a history of fiduciary responsibility. The principal shall never be used to fund operating costs associated with the fellowships nor the fellowships themselves. The interest ONLY shall be used for expenses associated with the fellowships.
A medallion shall be struck bearing on one side the Seal of the Society of Jesus and the Coat of Arms of Archbishop Carter on the other. The medallion is significant in that it will be symbolic of the religious order (Society of Jesus) in which Archbishop Carter spent fifty eight years of his life and his coat of arms symbolizing his episcopacy. Each Carter Fellow will receive a medallion embodying both symbols attesting to excellence which Archbishop Carter manifested throughout his life.
Criteria For Awarding the Scholarship
Applicants for these awards must meet a set of criteria that is rooted in the core values that permeated the life of Archbishop Carter. They must be men and women of faith with a commitment to lead, to teach, to heal, to touch, and to reconcile men, women and communities torn apart by selfishness and sin.
a) Applicants shall be a Jamaican national who has resided in Jamaica for three years prior to application.
b) Applicants of the Archbishop Samuel Carter Foundation Scholarship must at the time of application be admitted to an accredited institution of higher education in good standing, and into a program of graduate studies the Board of Trustees shall consider appropriate. They MUST have a record of service to their community and a strong commitment to give further service in education and community development.
c) Applicants must demonstrate through their life and work, a commitment to the furthering of ecumenism among all religious denominations.
d) Applicants MUST demonstrate a commitment to country, to community, compassion for the downtrodden, love for fellowmen, openness to peoples of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with a strong willingness to challenge unjust social structures.
e) Applicants must demonstrate an ability and a willingness to not only further God¹s kingdom among his people through his/her own ministry/vocation, but more importantly to be a genuine example to others of God¹s enduring love for them.
f) Applicants at the time of their application MUST demonstrate financial need. However, the Board of Trustees may not deny an award should a grant, fellowship and/or assistantship be already awarded UNLESS in the judgement of the Trustees the applicant¹s funding source is considered sufficient.
Conditions For Carter Fellows
a) The awardee (Carter Fellow) will be required to pursue the course of study for which the fellowship is awarded. Any change in the approved course of study for which the Fellowship is awarded MUST have prior approval of the Board of the Foundation. Failure to abide by terms of award shall forfeit the award.
b) The Carter Fellow will be expected to submit on a semester/quarterly and or annual basis (whichever is appropriate), a Transcript of his/her performance in the course of study to the Board of the Foundation. The Board shall review the Fellow¹s performance to determine continuation of the award.
c) The Carter Fellow will be required to continue performing service to his/her community so that contact with that community to which he/she will be expected to return will be maintained.
d) Upon completion of study, the Carter Fellow may be asked to assist the Foundation in any capacity that the Board may determine appropriate.
Value of the Archbishop Samuel Carter Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship
The Board of Trustees shall set the value of each award on an annual basis. The value of awards shall be subject to the amount of interest accruing from the endowment. The Board of the Foundation will also decide on the number of awards it may make each year and whether or not it may wish to renew a previous award and for how long.
Selection Process for the Archbishop Samuel Carter Foundation
The Archbishop Carter Foundation Fellowships Board of Trustees shall function as a selection Committee in awarding Fellowships. The Selection Committee:
1) shall review the criteria for applicants as appropriate in compliance with the intent of the fellowships.
2) shall read all applications and rate them to determine who should be invited for an interview.
3) shall interview those selected and decide on their candidacy for an award.
4) may give preference to a candidate who plans to pursue a seminal piece of work into the life and work of Archbishop Samuel E. Carter, S.J.
5) may award one or more fellowships annually contingent upon availability of funds and fields of study the Board may decide is their thrust at that time.
6) may renew the fellowship to the same applicant if in its judgement that applicant is pursuing a course of study or a professional degree which requires an extended period.
Click here to download the application.
