Jamaican government providing tuition assistance to the four students accepted at UWI

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Many of the 24 Jamaican medical students, who were forced to flee the Ukraine in March, amid the invasion by Russia in March, are now enrolled at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and American universities to complete their studies.

This disclosure was made during the recent ‘Let’s Connect’ virtual town hall with Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, where the discussion focused on educational opportunities, student exchanges and international student scholarships for Jamaican students.

In early March, 24 Jamaican students were displaced by the war in Ukraine. They returned to Jamaica with the assistance of the Jamaican Government with uncertainty regarding the future of their studies.

UWI accepts four

However, four of the Jamaican students have been accepted into UWI’s medical programme.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UWI Mona campus, Professor Dale Webber made the revelation in giving an update on the education status of the medical students, who fled the Ukraine.

He said the students were accepted at a special rate that was provided by the Jamaican Government.

Said Webber: “I’d like to add one silver lining to all that’s happened there. As you know, the Government of Jamaica had reached out and the University of the West Indies, Mona campus had responded. I’m pleased to share that four of the students who came back from the Ukraine in the medicine programme have now been accepted into the medicine programme at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.”

Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, Alsion Roach Wilson, who was another guest on the programme, also revealed that several other displaced students were accepted to schools in the United States.

According to her, “a few of the students were placed at Columbia [University]. And there are still some opportunities that we are currently working on specifically for the Ukraine students with Hartford Healthcare. We’re just waiting to finalise with them and then we can go ahead and make an announcement”.

Jamaican consulates aiding with scholarships

The head of the Jamaican consulates in New York and Miami also noted that they are providing scholarships for Jamaican students to study at colleges and universities in the United States.

Roach Wilson informed that 30 scholarships are available for students to register at Monroe College in New York.

The scholarships cover tuition and housing for undergraduate students seeking to study criminal justice, computer networks and cyber-security fulltime. The application can be accessed through the Ministry of Education and Youth’s website and is currently open until June 30, 2022.

After submission, the Ministry will review and respond by mid-July. Similarly, Jamaica’s Consul General to Miami, Oliver Mair, who also addressed the session, said discussions are in progress to provide approximately 30 scholarships for study at the University of Tennessee. He indicated “they are not full scholarships. They cover approximately US$20,000, so we’re looking at some fundraisers to assist students in getting additional support for accommodation”.

Mair advised that five scholarships are currently available for students pursuing Arts programmes at Edna Manley for three years, while two are available for students pursuing Reggae Studies at the UWI, Mona.