Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie remarked that the National Bursary Scholarship to The College of The Bahamas, which was established in 1978, has created a solid middle class of professionals who were nation builders.

He spoke at the 2016 National Bursary Scholar Award Ceremony at The College of The Bahamas, August 13, 2016, which announced scholarships to 417 top public and private school students who will attend The College of The Bahamas (COB), at a value of approximately $2,500 per student per semester provided they maintain a stipulated level of achievement.

Prime Minister Christie remarked: “This scholarship award is one of the oldest in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, dating back to 1978, two years after the College of the Bahamas opened its doors as a unified tertiary institution.

Prime Minister Christie addresses the 2016 National Bursary Scholar Award winners at The College of The Bahamas, August 13, 2016. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

“Since then, it has helped to send thousands of young Bahamians from both independent and public schools, to College.  Just five years after our country would have gained its independence, this scholarship was established; and from then to now, it has liberated, empowered and allowed scores of Bahamians to experience personal and financial independence as a result of having received a good tertiary education.

“Through these Bursaries we have created a solid middle class of people who are now the teachers, nurses, public administrators, lawyers, accountants, churchmen, engineers, doctors, even politicians and the list goes on. The first step for many was to have a scholarship to COB. Many have forgotten where and how it started, but for many it began through this process.”

The Government’s commitment to COB Scholarship has increased by 63 percent over the past two years.

Source: Bahamas Information Services