The Students` Financial Support Office (STuFSO), UCC has held its second scholarship award ceremony. The award scheme aims at providing financial assistance to needy but brilliant students who face financial constraints in the pursuit of their academic goals.
The support, these students receive, comes in varied forms such as full or partial scholarship, provision of accommodation or tuition fee arrangements.
For the second scholarship awards, one thousand five hundred and sixty-four (1,564) applications were received indicating a 100% increment as compared to seven hundred and eighteen (718) applications received last year. Of the number received, a total of three hundred and eighteen (318) students were awarded various forms of scholarships ranging from partial to full tuition. Collectively, an amount of GHS 577, 111 was invested in the awards.
Giving details of the awards, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong who also chaired the event said twenty (20) regular postgraduate students received partial tuition scholarship of GHS 3, 000 each. For regular undergraduate students, he indicated that two hundred and three (203) received either partial or full tuition scholarship while as part of the university’s corporate social responsibility; nineteen (19) concessionary scholarships were awarded to students from the communities surrounding the university. He further stated that aside the funds allocated by management for the scholarship awards, seventy-six (76) regular undergraduate students were also awarded full tuition scholarship under the School of Business Development Fund.
Prof Nyarko Boampong mentioned that the scholarship was evenly distributed among Colleges, Faculties/Schools and Departments and was based on the students’ financial circumstances and attainment of CGPA of 2.5 or better. For the concessionary scholarship, however, the CGPA was reduced to 2.0.
Also at the ceremony, the chairperson of the Students Financial Support Committee (SFSC), Prof. (Mrs) Rosemond Boohene, Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCC revealed that the Office plans to implement certain initiatives in future to make the scheme more vibrant and attractive.
“The office also intends to roll out other programs such as the work- study program. We also intend to source for more funds and partners who will be able to contribute towards the provision of these scholarships to students. Then we are also looking at establishing volunteering scheme where those who have received the various awards would be able to give back to society or the communities they find themselves” she revealed.
Funding for the Scholarship
STuFSO draws financial support from a number of sources to carry out its mandate. They include the Central Administration, Office of the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Students’ Representative Council and Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana. Others are the Distance Students’ Association of Ghana, Junior Common Room Council and Alumni. For the 2021/2022 academic year, contribution of the Central Administration was increased by GHS 100, 000. This contributed to the significant leap in the number of beneficiaries of the award scheme.
AWARDEES
The break-down is as follows:
College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences – 54
College of Humanities and Legal Studies – 37
College of Education Studies 70
College of Health and Allied Sciences – 42
School of Business – 76
Post Graduate Studies – 20
Surrounding communities – 19
Citations of honour were presented to four individuals who distinguished themselves in their service to the university through STuFSO. They were the immediate past Vice Chancellor of UCC under whose tenure the office was established, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah and the immediate past Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, who served as chairperson of the SFSC. Also honoured were the Registrar of UCC, Mr. Jeff Teye Emmanuel Onyame, a former member of the SFSC and Mr. Alfred Ghartey, a past financial support administrator, STuFSO.
The event was graced by the Oguaamanhen, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II with some members of his traditional council, Provosts, Deans, Directors and a section of students.