University of Uyo, UNIUYO inaugurated N100m Student Support Scheme to cater for indigent students.
The authorities of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) have inaugurated a support scheme for indigent students of the institution titled “The Hope Scheme”.
Vice Chancellor, UNIUY0, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, said on Friday at the Town Campus that the N100m would sustain the scheme through its first phase of five years.
According to her, the scheme was established to ensure that no indigent student of the school who is intelligent drops out owing to low socio-economic status.
“To kick start the scheme with an estimated number of 500 students, the university would spend a total of N20m ($140,000 equivalent) in the first one year.
“The amount anticipated to sustain the scheme would increase progressively to a total of N66m ($420,000 equivalent) at the end of the third year.
“The sum of N100m ($620, 000 equivalent) should sustain the scheme through the first phase,” she said.
Ekpo stated that the scheme has been segmented into three categories; Student’s Work Scheme, which would initially involve 200 students engaged for two hours a day on assigned duties in the university.
She revealed that those students engaged on the component of the scheme would earn N10,000 stipends monthly.
She said that the second component of the scheme (Scholarship Scheme) will also provide for 200 students with 3.5 CGPA and above who are indigent. They will receive N30,000 grants each per academic session.
The vice chancellor said the third, which is an Interest Free Loan component, would involve setting aside N20,000 per student, per year for 200 students.
She added that to be a beneficiary of “The Hope Scheme,” the student must be in the second year and with a CGPA of at least 3- 5 points and above.
Ekpo called on philanthropists and corporate organisations to contribute to the scheme with assurance that their contribution would be judiciously deployed to assist the indigent students in the university.
She revealed that the University Governing Council has approved N20m for the scheme.
A 100 mathematics department student of the university, Mr. Kufre Umoh, thanked the vice chancellor for the laudable innovation.
He described the scheme as long overdue in the Nigerian universities, adding that it would go a long way to help those who drop out due to financial problems. (Punch)