Virgin Islands residents pursuing advanced degrees are encouraged to apply for the V.I. Academic and Cultural Awards Endowment Scholarship. Funding is also available for residents conducting research and projects designed to promote cultural awareness in the territory. Recipients may receive up to $10,000 per year. Twenty-one scholarships were awarded for the 2009-2010 period, totaling $207,000.
The Endowment Scholarship was created by the V.I. Legislature in 1970 to assist residents with financial support to advance their academic and professional studies. The overall objective is to develop leadership capabilities in the various fields students may pursue. It is a territorial scholarship that is administered by the UVI. Advanced degrees are considered any degree beyond the master’s level, such as a J.D., M.D or Ph.D. On average 18 students per year have benefited from the endowed scholarship over the past five years.
The scholarship also funds cultural research and projects. “If you have an activity where you are promoting cultural awareness of the Virgin Islands, either here or abroad, that is something that we may fund,” said Ardrina Scott-Elliott, UVI’s director of advancement services and scholarships. “That’s really important, especially at a time when we say our culture is being jeopardized,” she added.
The application deadline is May 14. Applications are available on St. Croix and St. Thomas at UVI, the V.I. Board of Education and the V.I. Superior Court. They also are available from the homepage of the UVI Web site – www.uvi.edu. For more information and eligibility requirements, contact Ardrina Scott-Elliott at 693-1040.
