The University of Calabar (UNICAL) in Cross River State has awarded scholarships to 34 students of the institution in its maiden “Vice Chancellor Scholarship Award Scheme”.

The UNICAL Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, disclosed this while presenting the scholarships to the students at the university’s Senate Chamber on Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Obi said the scholarship was a response to her investiture speech on December 1, 2020, which she noted in her manifesto to reposition the university in line with global best practices to a foremost ivory tower.

She said with the full knowledge that academic excellence could only thrive in a conducive learning environment, her administration in the last three years concentrated in providing and renovating infrastructure in the institution.

The UNICAL VC said: “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 a scholarship by the university management to deserving students.

Sexual harassment: UNICAL professor, lawyer sent to Kuje Prison

“The scholarship scheme is instituted and sponsored by the university as the Vice-Chancellor Scholarship and is meant for the best students from each of our 110 departments.

“The best students with a Grade Point Aggregate (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.”

Obi said the scholarship lasts throughout the duration of the studies of the students provided they maintain the highest CGPA in the department which must not be less than 4.00.

She noted that the implication was that whenever a beneficiary’s CGPA dropped below the 4.00 mark on the scale of 5.00 or the beneficiary failed to come top in his or her department, with a minimum of 4.00 CGPA, he or she stopped enjoying the scholarship.

The VC added that the essence of the scholarship was to motivate students towards academic excellence as well as reward them for their hard work and reduce the financial burden on them and their parents given the current economic realities.

On her part, one of the recipients of the award, Rebecca Igboka, a student of Human Anatomy at the College of Medical Science, said the scholarship would motivate her to work harder.

The Star