The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture is inviting persons to apply for national scholarships through the Virgin Islands Scholarship Programme.

Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley stated in the House of Assembly earlier this year that the scholarship programme has reopened for the 2020/2021 academic year and scholarships will be given for specified areas of study.

Honourable Wheatley said, “For instance, you will have a specific number of scholarships in health related fields, technical fields, administrative fields, etc.  These specified areas of study will be tied directly to the labour demands of the Territory.  A listing of the specific areas for scholarships will be made available.”

He explained that only a specific amount of scholarships will be awarded every year, and the process will be a competitive one, considering a student’s overall academic performance. 

“Students without passes in 5 CSEC’s will not be disqualified, but all local and external exams will be considered in evaluating the student’s suitability for an award,” the minister added.

Applications can be accessed online on the Government of the Virgin Islands’ website at www.bvi.gov.vg/content/scholarships or by selecting ‘Featured Services and Information’ then ‘Education and Training’ followed by ‘Scholarships’ on the Government’s portal.

This transition to online submission is expected to promote greater efficiency in the overall application process.  The deadline for application submission is September 30. In keeping with government’s initiative to make its services available electronically, not only are applications available online but persons are now required to complete the application online and submit same along with the requisite supporting documentation to VIScholarships@gov.vg.

For more information about applying and eligibility for the Virgin Islands Scholarship Programme contact the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture at 284-468-3701 Ext. 2151 or 284-468-2151.