“It is my dream that, one day every Jamaican child will have the opportunity to complete tertiary education – it is my commitment to do all I can to realize that dream.” – Michael Lee-Chin

While it is heartening to see that more of our young people are turning towards education, there is a corresponding strain on the society to find the financial resources to ensure that these motivated students succeed. With this in mind, the N.C.B. Foundation continues to invest in scholarships at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels and funds various educational programmes across the island. Some of our initiatives also focus on improving the physical conditions of schools as it our belief that students need a safe and healthy environment that is conducive to learning.

CXC Fee Sponsorship

We are happy to announce our continued support of the CXC Fee Sponsorship programme for the Principle of Accounts and Principles of Business examinations. Since the start of the programme in 2003, the Foundation has spent over $60 million for 54,000 student entries. The programme works in partnership with the Ministry of Education subsidy and therefore, helps to ensure that all students to have the opportunity to meet the minimum subject requirement for admission into tertiary level institutions.

We Believe in You Fund

The Foundation team is so inspired by many of the young students who apply for scholarships with very limited resources available to them. Some of these students show an unwavering commitment to their education, despite financial challenges that often times were reflected in their academic performance. These young people continue on despite their hardships and are finally accepted into a tertiary level programme. Unfortunately, scholarship programmes typically reward the students who have the BEST grades – not factoring in for those who have the heart and just need someone to believe in them. So N.C.B. Foundation has established the “We Believe in You Fund” for all those young people who have struggled to change their circumstances for the better and just need a little help to get them started.

Parish Champion Awards

Beginning last academic year, 14 top students seeking to enter tertiary institutions were selected (one from each parish) and awarded tertiary scholarships:

* The top student in the island was awarded 1 Full Scholarship (covering tuition, boarding, books, etc) for the duration of the undergraduate programme;
* Full Tuition Scholarships was awarded to the 13 remaining students for duration of their undergraduate programmes.

General Criteria

The Parish Champion Award is open to Jamaican Nationals pursuing an undergraduate degree or diploma. Eligible students are high school leavers and six form graduates who are assessed based on the following:

* High academic performance
* Demonstrated community spirit
* Students from technical and upgraded high schools will receive extra rating during selection process
* Conditions for this award include maintaining a GPA of 3.3 for the duration of the award and working in Jamaica for a minimum period of two years immediately after the completion of their course of study.