A partnership between the University of Missouri–St. Louis and the Ministry of Education in The Bahamas has brought a cohort of 20 first-year students from the Caribbean country to St. Louis this semester.
The students are part of the Public School Scholars Programme or received the National Tuition Assistance Scholarship. The Public School Scholars Programme was instituted in The Bahamas in 2015 to promote college readiness, equity and access in the public school system. The Ministry of Education provides each student enrolled in the program with guaranteed scholarship awards ranging from $7,500 to $15,000 – and matched by awards from one of its 33 partner institutions in the United States and Canada – for up to four years.
Reggie Hill, UMSL’s vice chancellor for strategic enrollment, finalized the agreement to become a partner with the Ministry of Education in January after previously signing similar agreements while working in admissions at St. Leo University and the University of the Ozarks.
“One of the things that the University of Missouri–St. Louis offers is being a tier 1, public research institution,” Hill said. “The Ministry of Education in The Bahamas has what they consider high-need academic areas, and the majors that we offer here are neatly aligned with the national interests and the economic interests of The Bahamas.
“I knew UMSL’s brand, degree offerings and its location – being in St. Louis, Missouri, a diverse community, not only cultural community but economically – would attract Bahamian students.”
This fall, the Bahamian students have joined first-year students from at least 28 countries spread across five continents, enriching the diversity of the campus community.
Being joined by so many of their countrymen should help ease the adjustment each student has living on their own and away from home as they immerse themselves in the UMSL community.
