The Ondo State Government
says it is disbursing N400 million to 32,698 indigenous students of the state in the country’s tertiary institutions as bursaries and scholarships for the 2012/2013 academic session.
The Chairman, Ondo State Scholarship Board, Mr Dayo Awude, told newsmen in Akure that N323 million was for bursaries, while N77 million was for scholarships.
“For this academic year alone, we are disbursing not less than N400 million as scholarship and bursary awards. “I must tell you that we are even paying now and 32,698 students are to receive this as scholarship and bursary awards, he said.
Awude said that for a student to qualify for scholarship, he or she must have a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0 and above the previous year.
The student must also write and pass a qualifying test, he said, adding that each successful applicant under this category receives N100, 000 and this is called regular scheme.
According to him the physically challenged students were also included in the awards and added that though such people were known once seen, they too must apply.
Awude said that each successful physically challenged beneficiary received N50, 000, pointing out that 112 of them got the awards for the 2012/2013 academic session.
The chairman said that all medical students at the clinical level of their study as well as law students were paid N50, 000 each every session until they finished their studies.
“In this present disbursement, 713 and 198 medical and law students respectively, are benefiting,’’ he said.
According to him, any person who excelled in any other field is given an award under “special and automatic’’ scheme with a cash benefit of N100, 000 each.
“Any Ondo State indigene who is able to excel in any specific field like sports, education, cultural display or achieve any other feat is entitled to N100, 000 every year,’’ he said.
The chairman said that four persons were being considered for this category of award.
He said that 31,414 students benefited from the bursary awards, pointing out that 257 of them were under “regular bursary’’.
“For bursary, the major qualification for one to apply is that one must be in a university, polytechnic, college of education, monothecnic or school of health and hail from Ondo State.’’
Awude said that each of such applicant was entitled to N10, 000 .
Speaking on the awards, President, National Association of Ondo State Students’ Union (NAOSS), Mr Awodola Afolayan, applauded the state government for the gesture.
Afolayan, however, appealed to the state government to ensure that every qualified indigene of the state was captured in the scheme.
It could be recalled that members of NAOSS protested in December 2013 over alleged delay in the disbursement of the awards for the session.