New scholarship for needy students launched

Accra, July 29, GNA - Tertiary Education Scholarship Trust (TEST for Ghana), a non-governmental organisation set up by a British couple was launched in Accra on Tuesday to provide scholarship to needy but brilliant students in the country's tertiary institutions. Keith and Marjorie Lloyd and alumni of Linacre College at Oxford University in Ghana set up the scholarship scheme, which would commence this academic year.

It would provide funding for 80 needy applicants with each receiving GH¢500 annually in any of the five public universities or polytechnics to pursue a course of their choice. Another scheme by the Lloyd family, known as Lloyd Scholars, has provided funding for seven Ghanaian students to Linacre College to do their Masters and Doctorate degrees since 1999. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Lloyd, Founder of TEST for Ghana, said although the scheme was to support needy students, preference would be given to female applicants, applicants from the three northern regions and universities.

"Beneficiaries are bonded to remain and work in Ghana for the socio-economic development of the country and/or community for five years," he said.

He noted that TEST for Africa, which was the main branch, had guaranteed an annual funding of 20,000 pounds (40,000 cedis) to support TEST for Ghana for the first five years after which it would be required to source its own funding. In future, the best graduate to emerge from the TEST for Ghana scholarship programme would be made to apply to Linacre College for a one-year Master's degree programme. Professor George Hagan, Chairman of Trustees of the TEST for Ghana and an alumnus of Linacre College, noted that there were a lot of students in the country who were very brilliant but due to lack of financing, their capabilities had not lived to see the light of day. The Chairman thanked the couple for their initiative adding that the scheme would help to produce scholars who would be active in contributing to public policy, the affairs of the nation and the world.