Can you please bring to the spotlight an issue with the Scholarship Secretariat? Kids have been waiting since June to have their tuition fees paid at three US universities with suspension for non-payment and late fees piling on. No one is answering emails or phone. It’s a crisis and shame.
Auntie’s answer: I brought your concerns to Deirdre Carmola, manager of the Scholarship Secretariat. To start with, she explained that emails were sent to all returning scholars detailing the submission process, and that they were asked not to send their submissions for the funds for the upcoming year till 1 June; before that the secretariat was dealing with all the new applicants. Funds for the school year do not start to be distributed before 15 July, which explains why students did not receive the money in June.
There is also an automated response system set up for the secretariat to acknowledge receipt of emails.
“We have been answering telephone calls and emails and have also requested that students make a case where they have an urgent request,” Ms Carmola explained. “We had emails sent by staff acknowledging receipt of submissions and or requesting additional information.”
She said there has been “tremendous back and forth” between the secretariat and students due to incomplete submissions or missing documentation, or if more clarification is needed. “All disbursed funds have been notified to students by way of email,” she added.
Ms Carmola then responded to your specific concerns. “As far as we are aware we have dealt with all submission requests up to those received by second week of August 2018,” she said, adding that students are encouraged to follow up their overseas scholarship submissions, if required, by emailing scholarshipsubmissions@gov.ky.
If anyone you know has not received their funds or gotten through to the secretariat, please let me know and I’ll see what I can find out in those specific cases.
What about the department saying they would pay in writing and then not paying a students fees. The first thing the student knew about it, they were informed by the UK university that the would have to leave school if they didn’t pay immediately – weeks into the term! Talk about stress!
Why is so much money being wasted by paying for children to attend US colleges, often third or fourth rate Floridian institutions, when these children can obtain a better education at less cost to the taxpayer by attending UK universities? Funding by CIG should be capped at the costs of attending somewhere in the UK.
What are they studying, Entitlement 101? How about choosing an institution you can afford.
Is our Government solvent?
Quite normal operation for the Scholarship Secretariat
A parent said their kid received no email requesting additional documents so they were just waiting.
They were told at the meeting in August that their package would be emailed to them.
End of August and no package has been received.
The parent called and was told their child would get their package soon.
The parent said they are still waiting so looks like the child will leave without the funds.
If the Secretariat need to hire temporary staff to process these packages/disbursements during peak times (Summer and Christmas), they should do so and stop giving parents and children the runaround.
My son, who is currently attending university in the US, submitted the required documents as instructed. We received constant emails and updates.
Yes, there is a bit of reading to do but they have a process. After all it’s money that are giving us to help with the majority of the expenses.
It is nerve racking to have to wait, but they do deliver on time. In my experience.
Teedee seem like you are one of the lucky ones.
Your post seem to imply that the whoever the poster was talking about did not follow the process like your son, which you can’t know.
I know there is favouritism that goes on so do not pretend it does not.
I have had friends who tell me about all they did was call this person or that person directly and their child had their check while I have also had friends complain that their child had to leave without the funds so do not pretend that if someone is not getting through it is because they are not following the process.
How many students Government give scholarship to? In the hundreds?
How much staff they have in that unit? Three? Four?
Posters point was valid about more staff but we don’t want government get any bigger.
We are in the same boat. Went to August meeting and were told the same thing. So far nothing and tuition is due soon.
No funds should be spent on half assed overpriced US universities in any case. Can’t see an issue here.
Where did you go for your Undergrad Studies?
What were the major accreditations attached to your university?
Based on your response I pray it was a “Red Brick” University in the UK if not please be quiet you sound extremely bitter.
Unless Ivy League, US universities are overpriced and a waste of government spending. Caymanian children should attend UK universities as a first priority when reviewing scholarships with Canada as second due to costs. The Cayman Islands is a UK dependent territory. Cayman Law is based on UK common law. The island is ultimately ruled by the UK and not the USA. The majority of the white collar high paying expats are from the UK even if their previous income was meager. The companies in Cayman value UK education over local and US education. Why would you want your children to go to a second rate US university?
I agree that the US universities are overpriced indeed. It’s double the cost. I paid 8,000 KYD for a Masters from a UK institution as opposed to a US Masters which would be around 20,000 or more. The cost of attending a UK university is so efficient I didn’t have to apply for scholarship and paid out on pocket without a loan or going in debt.
As it relates to your other point, I wouldn’t say the government valued UK education over local education except if you are looking at it in terms of government choosing a person from UK for a higher post over a local person well that’s an issue in itself. One can still obtain a job having studied locally or at a UK university it just may not be a top position.
Most individuals wouldn’t have funding issues if they chose to study on island or at a UK university, but to each his own.
A case of user error, as usual…