By Admin. Updated 3:50 p.m., Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Eighty-two students will learn on Thursday whether their hard work has earned them government funding for higher education. This year’s awards list is noticeably different from last year’s.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Grenadines Affairs, Airports and Seaports announced the awards in a release issued through the Agency for Public Information (API) on Tuesday. They are based on students’ 2026 exit performances in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) and Associate Degree programmes.
The total matches 2025, when 82 graduates were also recognised. The mix is different. This year there are eight National Scholarships, down from 19 last year. The number of Exhibition Scholarships is unchanged at 18.
Bursaries rise from 43 to 55, and there is one Special Award this year, compared with two in 2025.
The bursaries are also worth more. Each recipient will receive EC$30,000 per year of study for up to three years, up from EC$25,000 last year. The longer-term awards stay the same. National Scholars receive funding equal to five years of study at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and Exhibition Scholars receive the equivalent of three years.
Last year’s announcement also included tuition-only scholarships. This year’s release does not mention any.
The awards will be made at the 2026 National Scholarship Programme Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception. That is a change from last year, when scholars were honoured at the National Schools’ Independence Rally at Arnos Vale Playing Field on 23 October 2025.
Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday will deliver special remarks and present the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal. Minister of Higher Education, Grenadines Affairs, Airports and Seaports, Terrance Ollivierre, will also address the gathering.
The Gold Medal goes to the scholar with the best overall performance. Along with a National Scholarship, the winner will receive the medal and $20,000, and the second-place students will each receive $10,000. Last year the medal went to Jerrel Insanali, who received EC$20,000 on top of his five-year scholarship. Christian Gieowarsingh and Gianna Stapleton tied for second place and received EC$10,000 each.
API will stream the ceremony live on YouTube and Facebook through its handle @APISVG, and it will also air on channel 116 on local cable television.
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