Scholarships for Hinterland Residents

Objective
hinterland communities with quality secondary or technical education which they otherwise would not be able to access in their communities, and to allow for the integration of hinterland students into the wider Guyanese society.

Since its inception the HSP has provided scholarships to more than 1,000 persons. Today the average enrollment of the program is 225 students with a yearly intake of approximately 60 students.

Distribution of Scholarships by Region (May 2005)
Region	Total Scholarships
1	39
2	41
3	2
4	10
5	1
6	8
7	36
8	7
9	41
10	48
TOTAL	233

The programme offers two types of scholarships:

1.Secondary School Scholarships
2.Technical Scholarships

Secondary School Scholarships

This aspect of the Program is further divided into two sections – regional and national scholarships.

Regional Scholarships

The successful student attends a secondary school within their region of origin. Eligible students are those who were successful at the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (SSEE), obtaining in excess of 470 marks but less than 480.

National Scholarships

Students in this category must obtain more than 480 marks and are awarded schools in Georgetown and its environs.

Technical Scholarships

This section of the program caters for the following:

a. Students who were not fortunate to attend secondary school
b. Students who attended secondary school but did not complete the program for reasons beyond their control.
c. Students who attended secondary school but obtained limited passes at CXC due to factors such as a lack of trained teachers and laboratory facilities.

The technical institutions that students may choose to attend (providing they fulfill the requirements) are the Carnegie School of Home Economics, Government Technical Institute, Guyana School of Agriculture, Government Industrial Training College and the Burrowes School of Arts. The ages of these students range from 16 – 25 years.

Selection of Technical Scholars

Selection of technical students is done by a small panel including the Permanent Secretary, the Minister of Amerindian Affairs and the Head of the Program. Attention is paid to geographic spread, population of the region, absence of secondary school facilities, among others.

Placement of Students

Depending on the marks attained at Common Entrance Examinations, students are placed in various schools. The technical students are placed based on acceptance in the institutions. It should be noted that some parents opt for their children to attend schools within the region even though they are entitled to attend a school in the city.

Download a background/briefing on the HSP (38 KB)