Billions in Jamaican Scholarships Available

Jamaican scholarships, like all other scholarships, are gifts. They don’t need to be repaid. There are thousands of them, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, and religious groups, professional and social organizations.

Jamaican scholarships are awarded ONLY to Jamaican born and/or resident students on an annually basis. These Jamaican scholarships are offered by local universities and colleges, not-for-profit foundations, financial institutions, and conglomerates (Grace Kennedy, Musson Group, Lasco) and Government Ministries such as the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance, and individual philanthropists. 

Achieving an education beyond high school is more and more critical. A complex economy and a rapidly changing global market require a skilled, educated workforce — and higher education remains the single best path out of poverty. We invite you to learn how we work with companies, foundations, communities and partners across Jamaica and the Jamaican diaspora, on behalf of our Jamaican students everywhere.

ScholarshipJamaica.com was founded in 2010, on the revolutionary idea that community support of Jamaican scholarships could bring college education within reach for thousands of students who couldn’t otherwise afford it. Today, we continue these efforts to make post-secondary education success a possibility for all Jamaican students. ScholarshipJamaica.com supports over 8,000 scholarships and education assistance programs across Jamaica and around the world worth in excess of JMD$4.6 billion dollars.

What kinds of Jamaican scholarships are available?

Some Jamaican scholarships for university/college are merit-based. You earn them by meeting or exceeding certain standards set by the scholarship-giver (most times these are GPA scores and volunteer services). Merit scholarships might be awarded based on academic achievement or on a combination of academics, volunteerism/community service and a special talent, trait, or interest. Other Jamaican scholarships are need-based – financial need.

Many local scholarships are geared toward particular groups of people; for instance, there are scholarships for females, Alma Mater or high school seniors. And some are available because of where you or your parent work, or because you come from a certain background (for instance, there are scholarships for children of Police Officers).

A local scholarship might cover the entire cost of your tuition, or it might be a one-time award of a few thousand dollars. Either way, it’s worth applying for, because it will help reduce the cost of your education and as the saying goes “every little make a muckle’. 

Local Jamaican Scholarships

Local scholarships are a great way to help pay for school. Local scholarship providers like to see people from their community succeed and so they often offer local scholarships available only to residents of a particular geographic region (parish, town and country).

Since the number of students who qualify is limited based on location, the chances of winning local scholarships (example: the Joyce Ford Newell Scholarship for St. Thomas Students) are often greater than the odds of winning national scholarships (such as the Fulbright Scholarship Program). This can make local scholarships an attractive and easy option for funding your education.

In the past, the availability of local scholarships for students attending university was very difficult to find. You had to hear about local Jamaican scholarships opportunities from people in your community, and then track down the person or organization that provided the scholarship in order to get a scholarship application. Even diligent students often missed out on valuable scholarship money.

Now, thanks to the Internet, finding out about local scholarships has never been easier. By using the scholarship search on ScholarshipsJamaica.com, for example, you can enter your indented/enrolled college/university and instantly be matched with any number of local scholarships you qualify for. Even better, you can do all this from the comfort of your own home. For a sample of information on local scholarships, you can browse through our database of scholarship resources by school and faculty, simply by clicking on this link.

The Basics on Grants and Scholarships

Financial aid is money lent or given to you to help you pay for university tuition fees. Grants and scholarships are kinds of financial aid that you don’t have to pay back. That’s why they’re sometimes called financial aids or awards.

All kinds of students get financial aid. Most grants are awarded based on financial need, as mentioned above. But a good portion of awards is awarded for academic and sports/athletic achievements.

If you are thinking about going to university, you should definitely apply for grants and scholarships. Remember, though, that financial aid rarely covers the entire cost of university tuition. Its just part of the picture — a picture that may include loans, family savings and other sources of money.

Grants and Scholarships Defined

The terms “scholarship” and “grant” are often used interchangeably, but there are usually differences between these two forms of financial aid. Most scholarships are merit based. This means that they are awarded to students with certain qualities, such as proven academic or athletic ability. Many Jamaican scholarships have rules — maintaining a certain GPA, for example — that you have to follow to continue receiving aid. Most grants are need based. This means that they are usually awarded based on your or your family’s financial situation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jamaican scholarships are free; you don’t need to pay them back unlike student loan bureau and other education loan providers. There are evidence that these local scholarships and financial aid opportunities are growing fast with increase awareness in students and their parents.

It’s over objective at scholarshipjamaica.com to have all potential college/university enrolled student to be aware of the various financial aid opportunities that are available to him or her. Completing the application forms for enrollment should include applications for open scholarships simultaneously.

We hope this was helpful and please free to leave a comment or reach out to us at [email protected]. We look forward to your response.