Students urged to embrace Madhvani scholarship programme

Daily Monitor, 18th Apr, 2016 by Roland D. Nasasira

Continuing university students from less privileged backgrounds have been encouraged to apply for scholarships under the Madhvani Foundation Scholarship Programme.
According to Henry Kyemba, who represented the chairman, Madhvani Foundation Board, students from across the country should embrace and apply for the programme to explore their potential.

“The times are favourable for the youth and it will take those who are alert to seize the opportunity and benefits of education to enhance their chances of success,” he said during the launch of the 2016/17 Madhvani Foundation Scholarship Programme last week. The programme will cost Shs700m.
Since its introduction in 2003, the programme aims at supporting academically brilliant but underprivileged Ugandan students to give them the hope of completing university once they apply.

Science courses
It has since then evolved from Shs300m to Shs700 million. For 2016, the Foundation will continue to focus on science and technical disciplines in various Ugandan based universities including Agriculture, Actuarial Science, Architecture, veterinary medicine, Commerce, Information Technology, Pharmacy, Nursing, Food and Science Technology, Environmental Science, Medicine, Hotel Management and Biology.
Over 2000 students have so far benefited from the programme and Makerere University currently has 135 continuing students benefiting from the programme.

Beatrice Apoto, the administrator of the Foundation said; “I have celebrated and continue to do so with many students who had lost hope of attaining a degree. I attest to the authentication of this scholarship application process.”
The scholarship programme is open to only Ugandan students who have completed their first year in Ugandan universities without retakes, both private and public, but approved by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
“The reason we take on students in their second year is because we don’t want students who will be discontinued due to poor performance. We want them to make a standard decision because everyone grows up with an intended career path,” Ms Apoto noted.
Application for this year’s programme started on April 1 and will close on April 30.

rnasasira@ug.nationmedia.com