Written by Nicholas Roberts for the 13th of November 2020 edition of Penguin News, headlined: “A broadening range of options for post-16 education”.

STUDENTS leaving the Falkland Islands Community School (FICS) may have a broader range of options for post-16 education than is often explored, Penguin News has found.

A number of American and British Universities include a Latin American and Caribbean Scholarship for their incoming students on which the Falkland Islands are listed as an eligible location from which citizens can apply – as are other British Territories such as Anguilla, The British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Turks & Caicos Islands, and territories of other nations such as French Guiana and the US Virgin Islands.

Notable universities offering this include the University of Florida in Gainesville, ranked 162 on the QS Global World Ranking of Universities, with a research output rating of ‘Very High’; and the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), ranked 114 on the QS Global World Ranking of Universities, also with a ‘Very High’ research output rating.

QMUL is ranked as the eleventh best university in the world for dentistry, thirtieth for Law & Legal Studies, and third for English Language and Literature, while the University of Florida is ranked fifteenth best university in the world for Sports subjects, twenty-fifth for Hospitality and Leisure Management and thirty-second in the world for Agriculture and Forestry.

These scholarships are primarily for partial funding, rather than covering full costs, but include coverage of 50% of tuition fees to “outstanding Latin American and Caribbean full-time candidates” (QMUL) or a minimum of $500 each semester to aid in studies and classification as residents of the United States for tuition fee purposes (University of Florida) – which reduces tuition fees for the university from $28,659 to $6,381 (2019-2020 fees) for ‘in-state tuition’. These forms of scholarship almost exclusively require that students have already been offered a course at the university, sometimes an unconditional offer, and that proof be given of this – and other funding – to the University in the form of an Award Letter, or confirmation of funding/grants.

Director of Education, Mrs Marie Horton, said, “students have a right to support if they meet the criteria… and students can study anywhere in the world. We’d welcome that, the most important thing is that it meets their needs. We’re really keen for them to consider our skill shortages… We have really fantastic opportunities and we’d really like our young folk to return to the Islands and a broadening range of options for Post-16 Education be really engaged and dynamic in shaping the future [of the Falklands].”

Mrs Horton confirmed there is nothing preventing a student from obtaining financial support for their higher education from multiple sources, such as both Falkland Islands Government and University Scholarships, but said in regards to the higher tuition fees which are often in place in countries such as the United States: “The policy is that the government will match the UK rate [of tuition fees], which is currently £9,250 per annum, any costs above that the student has to pay themselves. It could be that the grant from the university may cover the difference. It’s always worth the research.”

On another alternative for higher education for Falklands students Mrs Horton was asked whether FIG considers having students take their A-Levels in the Islands at Falkland College as a viable alternative to overseas studies, she said: “There are a few students studying A-levels at Falkland College and that is an absolutely viable option. At the moment the majority of young people want to go to the UK and the Government is strongly committed to supporting that… Our decisions are based around the needs of the individual, that is a fundamental principle. Wrapped around that are the needs of the individual to fulfil their potential, the needs of the islands, the long-term economic needs and our skills shortages. It’s the person first, the Islands second.”

The Director of Education said students should consider and research all their options and “there’s information, advice, guidance and support available at Falkland College through Ali Ford, who gives generously of her time, skill and knowledge to support individuals.”

Nicholas Roberts