MINISTER of Public Service, Sonia Parag, has said that the selection process for the government’s online scholarship programme is expected to be completed this week.
The initiative is being undertaken by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). The ministry was expected to complete the eligibility process on Tuesday before applications are handed over for the selection exercise. “As soon as we receive the processed applications from GOAL, we will commence the selection process. We are expected to do so this week and this will take about a week and a half to complete,” Minister Parag said.
She related that GOAL has oversight of the applications and will decide whether persons are qualified for the programmes they chose.
“We want to ensure that applicants are processed accurately in terms of the criteria to be met, which will determine if they are eligible or not for the programmes of their choice and then the selection of the beneficiaries of the scholarship will be conducted,” the minister said.
The ministry through GOAL has received over 8,800 applications. Most of the applications were from Region Four, which saw approximately 3,400 persons applying for the programmes.
Region Three followed with 1,044 applications; Region Two with 786; Region Six, 674; Region Five, 577; Region Ten, 429; Region One, 300; Region Seven, 296; Region Eight, 109 and Region Nine 110.

With applications being submitted, applicants will be further vetted to determine if they are qualified for the scholarships. Some of the conditions which would be taken into consideration include Grade Point Average (GPA), geographic location and income.
The scholarships will be awarded by the end of June to facilitate the commencement of classes in July. The government’s 20,000 online scholarship initiative is the fulfilment of a commitment the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) made while on the hustings, to provide opportunities for educational development.
Applicants were allowed to choose from 104 available programmes offered by six international universities.
The institutions are the University of the West Indies Open Campus, the University of the Southern Caribbean, the University of Applied Sciences, the Indira Gandhi National Open University, the JAIN “deemed to be” University and the Sherlock Institute of India.
The online scholarship initiative will see 4,500 people benefitting from scholarships each year, for the next five years. (DPI)