Overview
We believe that access to education of all forms is important for the continued success and development of young people in our communities. This scholarship award program is designed to address the barrier to accessing post-secondary education due to low socio-economic status.
Over a 10-year period, this scholarship will provide a way to increase access to post-secondary education by annually supporting one high performing student at Ardenne High School, whose family has significant financial needs, with the cost of tuition for the duration of a 3-year university or college program at an accredited university or college in Jamaica, in selected fields of study.
It is our hope that once award recipients are in a position to contribute to the scholarship fund, they too will make contributions to pay it forward. Thus potentially increasing the total number of students who could be helped in the future, or the number of years that a student is helped. Hence the title of the scholarship award, The Golden Rule — Do Unto Others As You Would Like Done To You.
Roles and responsibilities
Scholarship candidates
Candidates interested in this scholarship program should:
- ensure they meet the eligibility requirements
- submit an application online
- submit qualitative and quantitative updated reports during the scholarship period
Successful applicants
Scholarship recipients agree to:
- satisfy all the criteria for scholarship maintenance
- participate in mentorship meetings with the scholarship benefactors
- pay it forward by contributing to the scholarship fund if and when they are able to
Scholarship Maintenance
To maintain the scholarship recipients must:
- engage in full-time studies as defined by the Jamaican institution
- submit a certified annual academic record from the university or college
- maintain a GPA of at least a B+ at university or college
- complete at least 50 hours of community service each year
- participate in mentorship meetings with the scholarship awardees
- participate in an annual interview to share experiences
Additional information
- the scholarship administrator is not obliged to provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates
- scholarships cannot be deferred and are not renewable
- scholarships are subject to availability of funding
- scholarships are not taxable for the scholarship recipient
Funding for study with the Golden Rule Scholarship is made available entirely from a private fund owned by the Clayton Family. Both Mr. and Mrs. Clayton are past students of Ardenne High. Mrs. Clayton is a full-time educator with the Toronto District School Board, but she works part-time as a financial advisor. Mr. Clayton is a Software Engineer at Veeva Systems Canada.
Scholarship value and duration
The Jamaican post-secondary institution will receive tuition funds directly once an up-to-date tuition statement is presented to the benefactors by the scholarship recipient.
Scholarship values vary depending on the duration and level of study:
- up to 3,000 Canadian dollars per academic year for undergraduate studies for a 3 year program.
Candidate eligibility
Candidates must:
- be Jamaican born (Jamaican citizen)
- be enrolled as a full-time student at Ardenne High School
- have an attendance record for at least 5 years at Ardenne High School
- demonstrate significant financial needs
- demonstrate community support and involvement
- demonstrates leadership qualities and involvement in co-curricular activities
- have completed at least 50 hours of community service
- have been accepted at an accredited Jamaican University or College for the next competing academic year to pursue undergraduate education in one of the following areas:
- Nursing
- Mathematics of Finance
- Bachelor of Science in (Computer Science or Information Technology)
- Business/Economics/Accounting
- Bachelor of Education (or any of the Teaching Programs at the Teachers College)
Candidates are NOT eligible if:
- they were already accepted and are participating in another scholarship that already pays their tuition expenses
- they were already enrolled in a degree program at any post-secondary institution
Selection criteria
Eligible and complete applications will be evaluated based on adherence to the following:
- Write a 500-word essay outlining your achievements, goals, academic and career plans
- Provide a resume or curriculum vitae
- Provide 2 references – 1 academic and 1 community/church/professional
- Provide relevant academic report cards for Upper School
- Provide proof of family’s financial needs
All applications are to be submitted directly by candidates.
Instructions
Candidates that have trouble filling out or submitting the form should send an email to
info@financialliteracyrocks.com.
Candidates must:
- Complete an online application by clicking the Start your application here link at the bottom of this tab.
- Enter data in the fields marked mandatory and follow instructions for each item.
- Upload all required documents.
- Verify the data prior to submission.
- Click SUBMIT to ensure the application is submitted.
Supporting documents
Each document must be smaller than 5 MB and in .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt or .gif format for the application to upload successfully.
Supporting documents include:
- A 500 word essay
- Final report card
- Letter of acceptance
- Proof of community service hours
- Curriculum Vitae
- Verification of parents’ income
Deadline
The deadline for candidates to submit online applications is 11:59 p.m. EST, May 31, 2024.
Notification
The scholarship administrator will inform candidates of the final selection and results in July 2024 following an extensive review of ALL candidates applications.
