University of Birmingham & JN Legacy Scholarship

The JN Legacy Scholarship is now open for application!

The JN Legacy scholarship, which is in sixth year, will see one Jamaican student being accepted to study for a one-year master’s degree in a business-related field at the UK-based institution beginning in September 2018.

The University of Birmingham and JN Foundation Legacy Scholarship was launched in February 2014 at Kings House by His Excellency, the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, Governor-General of Jamaica.

This scholarship, endorsed by the Governor-General’s “I Believe Initiative” (IBI), provides a unique opportunity for an outstanding Jamaican student to pursue a post-graduate degree. One full scholarship will be offered annually, over a three-year period (2014-2016), to Jamaican students who have successfully matriculated to study for a Master of Science Degree at the University of Birmingham’s Business School.

The University of Birmingham and the Jamaica National Foundation are currently planning the scholarship offer for 2018, which is expected to open early 2018 and close in April/May, with the fifth scholarship awardee announced in July.

The 2017 scholarship received a total of 35 applications from prospective Jamaican students who successfully matriculated and received conditional offers to the University of Birmingham Business School. Miss Chris-Ann Thomas was selected as the inaugural scholarship awardee and is currently pursuing the one year Master’s Degree in International Accounting and Finance at the University of Birmingham.

Applicants should receive an offer from the University of Birmingham by mid May* during the application year. Eligible scholarship candidates will be advised in May and invited to apply for the scholarship. The successful applicant will be announced in July.

Prospective applicants should visit :www.birmingham.ac.uk

JN Group and University of Birmingham employees and directors, as well as immediate relatives, will not be eligible. *It is recommended that 2 – 3 weeks be allowed for processing applications

The Scholarship Impact

Saffrey Brown, general manager at the JN Foundation, said the launch of the JN Legacy scholarship in February 2014 resulted in an overwhelming response from potential candidates vying for an opportunity to advance their studies in an international environment. This, she said, demonstrated the excellent academic ability of local tertiary students who see the value of a first-world learning experience.

“There is no doubt that we have academically and socially talented young people here in Jamaica, and scholarship recipients upon their return to Jamaica will be able to make a difference in their respective fields. We are investing in our young leaders so that they can become agents of change from an economic and social standpoint, and on a more global level,” said Brown.

The JN Legacy Scholarship programme, endorsed by the governor-general through his ‘I Believe Initiative’, is awarded annually to one Jamaican tertiary graduate during the three-year period, 2014 to 2016. The first recipient, Chris-Ann Thomas, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in international accounting and finance at the University of the Birmingham, describes the experience as an eye-opening and rewarding journey.

“The transition has proven to be a relatively smooth one and I have certainly been enjoying and benefiting from the experience in its entirety. Beyond the knowledge enhancement that I have been gaining from the course, I am also learning more about other cultures, as well as new and different ways of doing things, particularly from an economic perspective,” she said.

Maintaining an excellent academic record, Thomas, who is also involved in extracurricular activities at the institution, looks forward to “returning home and applying the knowledge, experiences and insights I would have accumulated by the end of the year in a way that will be of benefit not only to the JN Legacy Scholarship stakeholders, but also the country, and by extension, the world”.

JN Legacy Scholarship Eligibility

The JN Legacy Scholarship is open to students who have successfully matriculated to study for a master of science degree at the University of Birmingham’s Business School by April 29, 2016. Last year the business school reported an increase in the number of Jamaicans applying to study graduate programmes following the launch of the Legacy Scholarship.

The University of Birmingham was named University of the Year 2013/14 in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide. These publications provide students and parents with an invaluable reference point in their quest to find a university placement in the United Kingdom.