What is my Scholarship Advantage?
Your Scholarship advantage arise from the expected increase in the number and value of new and returning scholarship awards post COVID-19 and through the limited number of anticipated applications during this pandemic. Most students are planning to apply for their scholarships after the COVID Storm subsides.
Don’t be one of those students. Use your scholarship advantage and apply NOW!
This post will be one of my shorter ones because taking advantage of the worldwide Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is simple and straight forward. I will be sharing with you four (4) main ways I believed you can use this COVID-19/Shelter-in-Place life challenge to your scholarship advantage and research practice.
Use your Scholarship Advantage, Apply Today!
Chris A. Grant
With the high financial demand due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and other growing financial needs that are been met by the Government of Jamaica’s COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) programme, some education financing experts are expecting an increase demand in scholarship applications for local and international awards.
This may become reality just as it may not come to fruition. However, wherever the future pans, its only smart to get ahead of the game now and start applying for scholarships by using COVID-19 to your scholarship advantage. Currently you are able to start applying for the JMMB’s Joan Duncan Scholarships (for final year students), and all UWI Mona, NCB Foundation, Gracekennedy and Sagicor foundations (just to name a few) will be open to applications within the next couple months.
Stay in the know via Social Media and other Media Outlets
My first suggestion is to stay in the know through your social media accounts and via other print, online, audio and television media outlets. Like your efforts to stay up to date with all the new COVID-19 memes, follow and stay current to all the new announcements, preventative methods and most importantly the jobs and scholarship posts. For the last two weeks, I have observed the launch of the following:
- COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) Programme
- University of the West Indies (@UWIMona) annual Open Scholarship
- JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation Scholarship (@JMMBGroup)
- CLOSED: Hanover Charities Foundation Scholarship (@Hanovercharities)
- @JTEC_Jamaica/@MOE_Jamaica Annual Teachers Scholarships
The above are just five (5) open scholarships/grants that I found on Instagram and Facebook whilst I was working from home during my current shelter in place order.
Yu caa do it tu! Find Scholarships on Social Media.
Chris A. Grant
It’s easy for me to keep tract of these scholarships because they are reposted by several Instagram accounts, influencers and promoted by the donor. With so much time on my hand, I was able – just like you, to spend more time on my social media accounts conducting my research. You can do it also!
Use your time wisely to Study and Research
Use your (this) time to complete an online course in writing a winning essay and or take this time to review our website and learn how to better strategies your scholarship research process. Additionally, you can read a scholarship application book or article, review old scholarship awards via www.scholarshipjamaica.com and our social media pages, the Gleaner’s Scholarship-to–Go annual publication or through the Jamaica Observer’s archived scholarship articles.
Contact a proven scholarship winner or a scholarship coach, secure a session and equip yourself with super tools to dominate the online scholarship research and application process. The work is not done yet, email known scholarship donors and other authorities such as your church, member of parliament or a major/minor business in your community requesting information on their new or existing scholarship program.
Practice Interview Techniques and Application Essay Writing
This COVID-19/shelter-in-place lock down can prove essential if you rekindle your online relationships and software skills development. Use your WhatsApp, Zoom or Skype to connect with a friend, teacher or interview consultant that can help you improve your job and scholarship interview techniques and also by downloading practice essay samples to read, break down and use as benchmark in your essay writing practices.
With time on your hand, you can team up with your family or friend to have in-person practices, debate, interviews and reviews six (6) feet social distances. Try to get unbiased responses as these will help you to improve your skills and techniques.
Scholarship Advantage: Research old Scholarship Awards
I cannot say this enough, like in marketing and some businesses, Location, location, location is the most important aspect of their marketing success. In Scholarship application, its research, research, research! The most effective way to win scholarships is to know what scholarships are coming up, their deadlines, field of study, value, who are qualified and the history of success. what better way to know this than reviewing past awards.
Because we know this and use this strategy to help us help you, we deliberately comb through our Instagram page, deleting irrelevant post, leaving only past scholarships that you can review with an expectancy of the coming scholarship application season. Yes, we did that only for you!
Through scholarship research you can realize who are the largest scholarship donors, scholarship requirements, and the traits of scholarship winners. For example, through my research during my COVID-19 work from home tenure, I realized that both Sagicor and Berger King Jamaica are two of the most lucrative GSAT scholarship donors. Additionally, I found out that these scholarships will be open to application stating the beginning of May.
Did you know this? Neither did I before my shelter in place stint!
Written by Chris A. Grant | CEO, ScholarshipJamaica.com | April 21, 2020
