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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
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College Access Challenge Grant Funds Not Renewed

Following a meeting with University of the Virgin Islands directors, V.I. Board of Education officials announced Tuesday afternoon that they will not be able to disburse the College Access Challenge Grant to graduating high school seniors in the new year.

For the last five years, the Board of Education distributed the College Access Challenge Grant of $5,000 each to 200 graduating high school seniors – 100 on St. Croix and 100 in the St. Thomas/St. John district – for their first year of college.

UVI obtained the five-year grant, but the grant was not restricted to UVI students, explained Laurie Isaac, Board of Education’s acting executive director.

“The funds were for students entering their first year of college,” Isaac said. “It was for first time freshman, but was not only for UVI incoming students.”

She said the board was informed that funds would not be available for the class of 2015 during a recent meeting with UVI officials.

“Initially it was a five-year grant and it ran its course,” Isaac said. “It was a renewable grant but I can’t speak as to what may have transpired and why the grant was not renewed.”

The UVI campus is closed until Jan. 5 and UVI officials could not be reached for comment.

Isaac said Board of Education officials will try to fill the funding gap with help from the Legislature and hope to have the College Access Challenge Grant in place again for the 2016-17 school year.

Board of Education officials will also try to collect all outstanding money owed to the body in an effort to increase financial aid for students graduating in 2015, according to the board’s released statement.

The board recommended students explore alternative funding sources like factweb.com, nationalmerit.org and fafsa.com.

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