Virgin Islanders who wish to study in other countries for the 2021/2022 academic school year are invited to apply for the distinguished Virgin Islands Scholarship Abroad Programme through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture.

The Virgin Islands Scholarship Abroad Programme is the Government of the Virgin Islands’ scholarship programme that offers Virgin Islanders a unique learning opportunity to study in any country. For more than 40 years, the Government has made dreams come through for hundreds of Virgin Islanders to gain a tertiary education.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley said, “Our greatest asset is our people. BVILOVE is our people. We want to ensure that we continue to do our part to open up a world of opportunities for them. We recognise as a Government that it is important for us to continue to invest in our people so that they are adequately trained, where possible, to fully participate and contribute to the economic advancement of the Territory.”

He said, “We want our people to continue achieving their professional aspiration by obtaining a sound educational background, and we want them to continue and further help in building the Virgin Islands’ economy. That is why as a Government, we ensured that we got the programme back up and running when we took office in 2019, as it was interrupted following the 2017 hurricanes.    

Honourable Wheatley said that this distinguished scholarship programme allows Virgin Islanders, who have qualified for the scholarship opportunity to experience cultures and perspectives as students interact in the global economy.

“I believe in the educational advancement of our people. Investing in the education of the people of the Territory is a high priority for the Government of the Virgin Islands,” the Minister said, adding, “We have an economy to build and to further strengthen. As a Government, we are thinking about the future of the Territory. We are in a time where we need specialised skills to help us develop creative solutions in these difficult times. Providing a means for our people to receive a tertiary education is a step towards this goal.”

While encouraging persons to apply for the scholarship abroad programme, the Education Minister said that over the years Virgin Islanders have  received academic degrees in various disciplines of study including medical, communications, engineering, maritime, education, law and business of the many areas spanning all sectors of the economy of the Virgin Islands.  He is encouraging persons to contact the Ministry to learn about the priority areas and make themselves available for the scholarship opportunity.

Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Carolyn Stoutt-Igwe said that the process for applying is simpler and user-friendly and interested Virgin Islanders can apply online.

Mrs. Stoutt-Igwe said the Department of Information Technology helped the Ministry improve and streamline the application process, which is part of the ongoing Public Service Transformation plan.

“With this new online system, applicants will be given a user profile and will be able to track their applications, and the Ministry will now be able to contact applicants directly through the system,” she stated.

The new system allows applicants to save the information and return if they are unable to upload all required documents at the same time.

Prospective applicants, when applying, must ensure that all required documents are submitted before the application deadline.  The BVI Abroad Scholarship application process opened on September 15 and will close on October 15. The Government’s scholarships provide financial assistance to individuals to enable them to pursue tertiary level education.

Mrs. Stoutt-Igwe apologised for the delay in the launch of this year’s application process but noted that additional time was required to test the system before its official launch.

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, www.bvi.gov.vg.

The Scholarship Committee reviews applications and conducts interviews during the first and second quarters of each year. Applicants are notified of the decision on their applications early in the third quarter.

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