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The qualifying criteria for a local or overseas scholarship can be quite complicated and vary according to which type of degree or course you choose to take. One important thing to consider is that a student who is awarded a scholarship must sign a legal document committing them to a) successfully completing their proposed studies and b) then working in the Cayman Islands for a specific period of time after their studies finish. If the student fails to meet either of these two requirements they will have to repay all the scholarship funds that they have received. Local overseas undergraduate scholarships used to provide up to CI$20,000 per annum for students, with intent of covering costs of tuition, plane tickets, food, stationery, accommodation and other necessities. Now, as of Fall 2021/22, current and new undergraduate students can expect an increase in their funding of up to CI$30,000 per annum. Students pursuing a degree in education or classroom teaching are also eligible for the Education Teaching Scholarship, where they can receive up to CI$35,000 in annual funds. Cayman Scholar Award: Taking effect in the Fall 2021/22 academic year, The Cayman Islands Ministry of Education (MoE) will provide full tuition to the most outstanding male and female Caymanian students. Two individuals will be eligible to receive a scholarship of up to CI$100,000 per annum. Such funds were increased to cover larger costs of students attending more elite or Ivy League universities. The Community Engagement Programme
As of June 2021, UCCI now offers their Community Engagement Programme where students can receive up to CI$2,500 per year in financial aid to support tuition, books, fees and other needs. To be eligible for the scholarship, you must: demonstrate potential for civic service leadership in the Cayman Islands, be a first-generation college student, be a Cayman resident for at least one year, and be a new student in your first year of study (CEP):
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at UCCI. To learn more about how to apply and eligible Associate and Bachelor programmes, visit www.ucci.edu.ky/cep. Undergraduate Degree Scholarships: To be considered for an overseas scholarship to study a Bachelor’s degree programme you must have passed your AP, IB, A Levels, BTEC, SATs or Associate’s Degree to a certain criteria set out in the Scholarship Secretariat’s application form. For example, if you took the IB you will have to have taken and passed the full IB diploma and achieved a high school GPA of 3.25. A Level and CAPE students need to have passed three A Levels each with a minimum grade of C, or CAPE Unit 2. If you took an Associate’s Degree or Associate level studies then you must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher. BTEC Level 3 students must have an Extended Diploma with a minimum MMM grade average. If you took APs, please refer to the scholarship section of the Ministry of Education website as the point system and requirements have recently changed. Finally, the Education Council may award an overseas scholarship to students who do not have advanced standing (IB, A Levels, CAPE, AP) if they meet one of the following two criteria: 1) Seven GCSE/CXC passes at A or B grade, including Mathematics and English, or 2) a combined cumulative High School GPA of 3.25 or higher or an SAT score of 1500 on the old SAT, 1100 on the new SAT or an ACT score of 22. Undergraduate Funding & Subsequent Years:
To maintain their scholarship, students must achieve a 2.75 GPA or a 2:2 in the first year of study, and a 3.00 GPA or a 2:1 in your subsequent years. The Secretariat requires you to do at least 12 credits per term/semester in your first year and then 15 credits per term in the subsequent years. Overall, a Bachelor’s degree should take 120 credits to complete. Each year you should be doing a minimum of 30 credits for a four year course, and 40 credits for a three year course. The Secretariat’s annual audit of your scholarship will measure this, and your funding will stop if you are taking
less than the credit requirements. Funding comes in twice a year and is based on your declared expenses. Qualifying students can get funding of up to CI$20,000 per year for a maximum of four years, unless they are reading Medicine and then that can be extended to six years and beyond if the student is specialising in a chosen field and needs to take internships. Once per degree, and based on budgetary considerations, students can apply for mandatory summer funding; this is capped at CI$4,000 and is dependent on specific guidelines having been met. Tracking Expenses:
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Each semester students must go through a detailed submission process for their scholarship funds to be continued, and in the process they must submit a detailed grade and transcript record, along with receipts of how the money they received was spent. All the paperwork will then be reviewed in great detail and the Scholarship Secretariat, who are more like forensic financial accountants, will study how you have spent the money they gave you and whether you qualify to receive any money for the next semester. In addition to the Ministry of Education’s scholarships, students can also apply for a private sector scholarship as long as both scholarships do not exceed the students total costs. Although the process of getting a scholarship may seem overwhelming, the Secretariat must have a way of measuring student’s performance. They also require the students to go through a costing procedure. Each student must fill in a spreadsheet which automatically tables their expenses and identifies the different costs which they should be thinking about (tuition, room and board, food, dorm supplies, school supplies, books, utilities, transportation at university, flights home, etc.). For more information on the application process see www.education.gov.ky or pick up a copy of our sister publication: Cayman Parent.
