Professor Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, has given scholarship funds to 34 students who have a CGPA of 4.0 and above.
This is the maiden edition of what is to remain as an annual Vice Chancellor Scholarship Award Scheme in the University.
Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, said the scholarship was in response to her investiture speech on December 1, 2020, in which she stated in her manifesto that the university would be repositioned as a leading ivory tower in accordance with global best practices.
She said with the full knowledge that academic excellence can only strive in a conducive learning environment, her administration in the last three years concentrated in providing and renovating infrastructures in the institution.
“Having taken time to do the first things first by way of providing the enabling environment to enhance academic excellence, I welcome you to witness the award of scholarship by the university management to deserving students.
“The scholarship scheme is instituted and sponsored by the university as the Vice-Chancellor Scholarship and meant for the best students from each of our 110 departments.
“The best students with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 4.00 in the 100 level of every department is a beneficiary of the scheme which attracts the payment of 50 per cent of the charges payable by the student,” she noted.
Obi stated that the scholarship is valid for the students’ whole university studies as long as they maintain the top CGPA in the department, which must be at least 4.00.
She argued that the connotation was that if a recipient’s CGPA fell below 4.00 on a scale of 5.00 or if the beneficiary failed to rank first in his or her department with a minimum of 4.0 CGPA, he or she would no longer be eligible for the scholarship.
She went on to explain that when the beneficiary’s CGPA drops, any other student who takes over with an excellent CGPA instantly becomes the beneficiary, thus it was time for the current beneficiaries to sit up.
The VC went on to say that the scholarship’s purpose was to stimulate students to strive for academic achievement while also rewarding them for their efforts and reducing the financial burden on them and their parents in light of current economic realities.
Miss Rebecca Igboka, a Human Anatomy student in the College of Medical Science, expressed her delight at the news, saying it will inspire her to study harder.
Similarly, Miss Modesta Onah from the department of Radiography expressed her gratitude to God and the institution for the honour.