Students Encouraged to Apply For ICT Scholarship

JIS Press Release, June 23, 2025

Students have until July 11 to apply for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Scholarship for the 2025/26 academic year.

With the application period officially opened today, June 23, five students from underserved communities across the island will receive financial support to pursue academic studies in ICT locally.

The initiative targets individuals who are former beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), graduates of the USF Technology Advancement Programme (TAP) or have been members of a USF ICT Club for at least one year.

To qualify, applicants must be Jamaican nationals under the age of 25 as of August 31, 2025; currently residing in Jamaica and accepted into or enrolled in a bachelor’s degree programme in ICT at a registered Jamaican tertiary institution. They must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5 or equivalent academic standing, demonstrate financial need, and show active involvement in their communities.

The scholarship forms part of the Fund’s 20th anniversary year-long celebrations, which highlight its continued efforts to bridge the digital divide and expand access to ICT across Jamaica.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the USF, Charlton McFarlane, said the 2025 ICT Scholarship Programme reflects the agency’s broader mandate to increase access to ICT, build local capacity, and equip the next generation to drive Jamaica’s digital transformation.

“As we commemorate 20 years of bridging the digital divide, we’re proud to continue investing directly in the lives of Jamaica’s young people. It’s one thing to speak about digital access, it’s another to see it in action, transforming lives,” the CEO said.

“Our past recipients are working towards their dreams of becoming web developers, IT specialists, and tech entrepreneurs. That’s what this scholarship is about – removing barriers and making big dreams possible,” the CEO said.

Mr. McFarlane emphasised that the USF remains committed to investing in Jamaica’s digital future by empowering the youth with the tools and training needed to thrive in a technology-driven world.

Since the scholarship’s inception in 2020, the USF has awarded more than $13 million in scholarships to students across the island and plans to increase this investment for the 2025/26 academic year.

For more information and to apply, persons can visit www.usf.gov.jm