March 26, 1998
(Education)

Government creates a $4M Post-Secondary Awards Program

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has created a $4 million awards fund to assist students with high financial need to attend university and public college programs on a full-time basis.

The fund will provide awards of up to $1,000 per year to students meeting financial need and academic success criteria. The awards will be administered and criteria finalized by a Board of Directors consisting of representatives from Memorial University of Newfoundland, the College of the North Atlantic, representatives of the Department of Education, and student representatives of the College and University.

The Minister of Education, Roger Grimes, says "students who have the highest financial need are normally from lower and middle income families who have to attend educational institutions outside their home communities." The fund will help ensure that those students with a proven academic potential have the necessary extra resources to obtain a post-secondary education at the Provincial College or Memorial University of Newfoundland.

The fund will provide more than 4,000 scholarships of up to $1,000 for each of the next two years.

Contact: Carl Cooper, (709) 729-5040.