Programme application closes in five days

Shanique Dunstan, doctor of medical dentistry student at the University of Technology, and Lashaire Fletcher, a doctor of pharmacy alumna of the University of the West Indies, say the National Health Fund’s (NHF) EduCare Grant Programme helped them to cross financial hurdles and advance their courses of study.

Dunstan, a two-time beneficiary, noting her struggle each year to cover her tuition, outlined how the EduCare grant made a great difference.

“Funding my education has been challenging since my programme is very expensive, costing over $2 million annually. I have had to seek sponsors and grants for help. At one point I felt like I had the whole world on my shoulders, then somehow it was magically lifted. Being a recipient of this award has allowed me to offset my tuition and expenses,” she said.

Currently in the penultimate year at the College of Oral Health Sciences, Dunstan is driven by the hope of one day paying it forward.

“I am blessed to say that I am almost at the ‘finish line’. Thank you, NHF, for choosing me as an award recipient. Your investment in my future is truly amazing and I’m forever grateful,” she said.

“I look forward to the opportunity to give back to my community, and contributing to the development of my country through patient care.”

The aspiring dental surgeon is among 67 health care students to have benefitted from the programme since 2020.

ALMOST DIDN’T MAKE IT

Fletcher said securing the grant was a very emotional experience as she didn’t know how she was going to complete her studies.

“For the final school year, I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. I was unable to register for the courses and I almost missed the opportunity to do my exams because I was unable to cover my tuition,” she recalled.

“Thanks to the EduCare Grant, I was able to complete my doctoral studies in Pharmacy at The UWI.”

Now an intern at an NHF-managed Drug Serv Pharmacy, Fletcher said she was grateful to the NHF for the grant that vastly contributed to reaching this milestone.

GRANT APPLICATION CLOSES ON JULY 20

The gratitude from the awardees to the Fund is immense.

Application for the grant closes in five days, on July 20.

Interested persons may apply at https://www.nhf.org.jm/educare, email [email protected] for more information or call 876-906-1106.

The programme was launched in 2020, with the aim of providing financial assistance to aspiring health professionals who will be able to contribute significantly to the health of the island’s population on the successful completion of their studies.