Imo State Government Scholarships for Imo State Students

Imo State Government Scholarships and Loans

Course(s) Offered: All courses of study
Course Level: Undergraduate (primary, secondary, bachelors), Postgraduate (masters)
Provider: Imo State Government
Country to Study in: Nigeria, Republic of Kosovo

Scholarship Description
In fulfillment of his promise to extend free education to the State owned tertiary institutions, the Imo State governor in January 2012 distributed scholarship forms to students of Imo State origin.

The Governor reiterated that the free education programme will commence in September 2012 onwards, and that the free education programme will be extended to indigenes of Imo State schooling in other tertiary institutions during the second phase of the programme, adding that indigent students of the State owned schools that are non-indigenes will be given scholarships as well.

This is a call for scholarship applications, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, from Imo state students.

Eligibility
Students of Imo State origin at all levels studying in the various schools in Imo State, who have acceptable good grades, and must have shown to be worthy in Character and Learning.

Selection criteria:
Awards will be given strictly by merit considering student's past academic achievements

Eligible groups
All students of Imo state origin who meet the 'Eligibility' criteria

Participating Institutions
All State owned primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

There are 1,205 primary schools in Imo State (nineteen of which are privately owned), with about 570,345 pupils, nearly 280,000 of whom are girls. There are also about 289 secondary schools exclusive of private secondary and vocational/technical schools.

There are seven postsecondary institutions in the state, three are owned by Imo State Government while four are owned by the Federal Government. They are: Imo State University, Owerri; The Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri; Michael Okpara College of Agriculture, Umuagwo; The Polytechnic, Nekede Owerri; Federal Government Girls College, Owerri, and Federal Government College, Okigwe.

There are two Teachers' Training Colleges in the state, at Oguta and Nsu.

NOTE: The free education programme will be extended to other tertiary institutions during the second phase of the programme.

Fields of study
All courses of study are eligible. However, 21 students will be sponsored for degree courses in Medicine, Agricultural sciences and Engineering in the Republic of Kosovo.

Number of awards
Not specified by the provider, but several will be awarded.
Please note that 21 students, aside those provided free education in Imo state, will be sponsored to the Republic of Kosovo.

Sponsorship duration
The whole duration of study till graduation

Scholarship benefits
The State government will grant the sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) to each student of Imo State origin studying in the State university and eighty-thousand naira (N80,000) to all students in the State-owned Polytechnic who are indigenes of the State.

The money is for school fees and the balance will be loans payable when students secure employment after their graduation from school.

For OND level at the State Polytechnics, sixty-thousand naira(N60,000), broken down into N40,000 for school fees and N20,000 as loan while those at HND level will get eighty thousand naira (N80,000), broken down into N60,000 for school fees and N20,000 as loan. Similarly, the primary and secondary schools are to receive grants of 25,000 naira and 40,000 naira respectively to enable payment of their school fees.

NOTE that the free education programme will be extended to indigenes of Imo State schooling in other tertiary institutions during the second phase of the programme, and indigent students of the State owned schools that are non-indigenes will be given scholarships as well.

Method of Application
To apply, applicants must have been admitted into any of the various State owned institutions, and also fill in the Scholarship Application Form.

Note that students are to pick the forms from their respective Traditional Rulers. Other places to obtain the scholarship forms as recommended by the State Government include the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the State Ministry of Education and from the various schools' authorities.

DEADLINES:
The free education programme commenced as from September 2012. The Scholarship forms were since distributed in January 2012, and it's expected to have been filled in and submitted well before the September 2012 commencement date.

PLEASE NOTE:
Imo State is one of the states in Nigeria with a high literacy rate. The prestige of a family is determined by the number of educated persons it has produced. Interest in education is self evident from educational development efforts of communities. Such efforts include the provision of educational opportunities and physical structures for the advancement of knowledge.

Application Deadline: Well before September every year
Open to International students: No (ONLY Nigerians)

More Scholarship Information and Application

Related: Imo Government Begins Distribution of Scholarship Forms to Students