PRINCIPAL of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Professor Dale Webber is reporting that for the 2021/2022 academic year the institution was able to raise approximately $1 billion in scholarships.

Webber, who made the report during the UWI, Mona, Annual Council Meeting on Friday, said, “We do have to look after our students.”

The principal stated that, “The University of the West Indies gives back to students in all faculties, a total of almost a billion dollars in scholarships, bursaries, grants and meals, which helps those students get through their day -o-day activities.”

Adding that these financial support are for the “the most needy students”, Webber went on to say that for the postgraduate scholarships, it comes from the university centre.

“Those scholarships are matched by external scholarships, and we’ve in fact grown those $34 million, which was what we’ve had in terms of total allocation of scholarships. A little from last year. This is boasted by the students and members of our community. The guild of last year making a donation of $1 million, which we used to help with students and their needs,” he said.

Webber further said the American Friends of UWI also donated $26 million towards students scholarships and development.

At the same time, the principal pointed out that outreach work is very important to the university.

With the number of students enrolled at the campus with disabilities totalling 247 or 1.5 per cent, Webber said UWI, Mona will continue its outreach activities.

“Where we only had those students that we spoke about– the small number – we still have to service all those students. They are students who need to move around the campus and through the faculty of engineering, we were able to repair some of the features and the mobile units, the electric scooters, which are needed for some of our students to get around,” Webber said.

“Just last week we had one of our scholarship winners from New Fortress who benefited from one of the scooters repaired by the engineering faculty,” Webber pointed out.