The Ministry of Education hosted its second First Generation Scholarship Award Ceremony on Friday, 10 October at the Grenada Trade Centre Annex, Morne Rouge, St George.
Eighty Grenadian students received more than $7 million in First-Generation Scholarship awards. Areas of study include accounting, criminal justice, business, health care, finance, sports management, hospitality, disaster management and cybersecurity. This scholarship was initially advertised in December 2024 for the 2025 academic year and will now continue to be an offering of the Scholarship Desk.
The First-Generation Scholarship opportunity is a collaborative effort between the Government of Grenada and Monroe University. Applicants for the First-Generation Scholarship will be the first person in their family to pursue a university degree.
Referring to Monroe University and the Government of Grenada as champions for education, Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Human Resources and Educational Development Elvis Morain said, “Targeted programmes like this one are vital. They do more than provide financial relief. They provide a foundation to support, a vote of confidence and a community of belonging.”
Minister for Education Senator the Hon. David Andrew reminded everyone that it is the goal of the Dickon Mitchell-led administration to have one university graduate per household. “The 2021 population census for Grenada indicates that there are approximately 40,000 households in Grenada and a population of about 110,000, estimated at this time to be about 117,000,” the Education Minister said. “I want to point out that of that population — according to the 2021 population census — only 3,960 persons have a first degree.”
He went on to add that 1,631 have a master’s degree and 382 have a doctorate, concluding that just under 6,000 individuals have a university degree in Grenada. The education minister said, “Our government, given the above statistics, will continue to collaborate with partners and will continue to collaborate with entities that will give our people the opportunity to get a university education and equivalent qualifications. Monroe, we thank you. We thank you for partnering with the Government and people of Grenada.”
Hon. Andrew explained that almost 200 people applied to the programme, which is now in great demand. He reminded students that higher education increases their employability and overall quality of life. “This Government of Grenada and the Monroe First-Generation Scholarship opportunity open doors that many families may not have otherwise had the opportunity to do. So, embrace this opportunity with both hands and make the best of it,” Hon. Andrew said. “We are quite happy, as a government, to invest $7 million in our people, because when we put that in you, in a couple of years, you will be generating more than $7 million.”
Welcoming the fall 2025 class, President of Monroe University Marc Jerome informed the audience that Monroe University was founded 92 years ago by his grandfather and great aunt in 1933 in the United States of America. He said, “I want to make sure we thank our Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and our Minister of Education David Andrew for investing so much and so seriously in you and in the people of Grenada.”
The scholarship award covers the cost of tuition only for online students, and tuition and accommodation for students attending Monroe University’s St Lucia and New York campuses.
Senior Vice President at Monroe University Alex Ephrem, PhD, who oversees the graduate programme at the university, thanked students for choosing Monroe University, and encouraged them to pursue lifelong learning and reiterated the president’s assurance of support. He said, “There are two things I always say about Monroe University. It’s that our programmes are very carefully crafted in order for you to get the knowledge for you to get the job, and it’s taught by credentialled practitioners in the field, so you get a practical education. The second thing is our support service. I can tell you, boldly, our support service is second to none.”
First-Generation Scholarship Recipient Jenelle Morain extended thanks on behalf of the recipients. She said, “We extend a heartfelt thanks to the Ministry of Education, especially Sen. the Hon. David Andrew. Your vision and leadership, commitment to ensuring that we have access to higher education and turning it into a reality is great to us. Our appreciation goes out to Monroe University, Mr Marc Jerome and Dr Alex Ephrem for your continued partnership and inspiring words this morning. Your dedication reminds us that education truly transforms lives.”
Ministry of Education
