Canada-CARICOM Virtual University Scholarship Program (CCVUSP)

Scholarship
Scholarship Value and Duration | Background

Eligibility
Eligible Certificate Programs | Conditions

Application Process
How to Apply | Deadline

Further Information

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Scholarship

The Government of Canada under the Canada-CARICOM Virtual University Scholarship Program (CCVUSP) will offer five selected certificate programs, delivered entirely at a distance, to learners from CARICOM countries. This pilot program is in partnership with the Canadian Virtual University (CVU), and in cooperation with University of the West Indies Open Campus (UWIOC).

The pilot program will provide Canadian certificates, awarded by Canadian institutions and all courses will be delivered online.

Scholarship Value and Duration

Scholarship is for the tuition of all the courses required to complete the certificate programs listed below. All payments will be made on behalf of the student directly to CVU.

Background

The CCVUSP was announced in 2007 by Prime Minister Harper during a visit to the Caribbean. The program serves to enhance the skill sets required to advance the development and sustainability of CARICOM and seeks to strengthen institutional linkages between Canadian universities and colleges and those in the region.

Please note:
The Canada-CARICOM Virtual University Scholarship Program (CCVUSP) is an extension of the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarships Programme and includes all member and associate member states of the Caribbean Community or CARICOM.

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Eligibility

• Students must be citizens of one of the following countries: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitt's, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos.
• Students already enrolled full-time at another institution are not eligible for this award.
• Anyone who has Canadian citizenship or who has applied for permanent residency in Canada is not eligible for this award.
• Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously participated in a DFAIT student exchange program.

Eligible Certificate Programs

Programs selected for the CCVUSP have start dates each month. Programs are currently offered in English only.

The programs available are:

• University Certificate in Counseling Women *
• Certificate in Health, Safety, and Environmental Processes *
• Certificate in Information Technology *
• Certificate in Computing and Information Systems *
• Diploma in Technology and Entrepreneurship (program is technology-focused) *
  
  *This link leads to a site belonging to an entity not subject to the Official Languages Act. Information on this site is available in the language of the site.

Conditions

• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of their application.
• Online applications and all required supporting documents must be submitted before an application can be reviewed.
• Awards are conditional on receiving admission from CVU.
• Applicants must have excellent English reading and writing skills as required for university-level studies.
• Applicants must begin their certificate or diploma program no later than March 1, 2010.
• All courses that are required for a certificate or diploma must be completed within two years of initial enrollment.
• Applicants must have excellent English reading and writing skills as required for university-level studies.
• Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Princeton Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).*

*For TOEFL, visit: www.toefl.org. CBIE's code is 9500.

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Application Process

How to Apply

Applicants must complete the CBIE online application form.

• Enter your data in the fields provided, following the instructions for each item.
• Upon completion, verify your data prior to submitting.
• To obtain a hard copy for your records, prior to submitting, you may print the form using the print function of your browser. Note that CBIE does not require a hard copy.
• Click SUBMIT button to provide your application electronically to CBIE.

For all Certificates/Diplomas, applicants must submit the following required documents to CBIE:

• Curriculum vitae (maximum 5 pages).
• Proof of citizenship of the candidate (passport copy).
• Declaration signed by the applicant.

In addition, applicants to the “Diploma in Technology and Entrepreneurship” must submit academic transcripts and two (2) letters of recommendation, in English.

Note: Although not required, a letter of recommendation and academic transcripts may also be submitted for the other Certificates/Diplomas.

The name of qualified applicant will be forwarded to CVU. CVU will contact the applicant with program information and will guide the applicant through the admission process. The scholarship will not be confirmed until registration is complete.

Deadline

Scholarship applications and required supporting documents are accepted at any time from December 4, 2009 to January 15, 2010.

Scholarship applications are not complete until all supporting documents have been received by CBIE.

If supporting documents are sent by e-mail, please indicate 2009 Canada-CARICOM Virtual University Scholarship Program in the Subject Line and direct to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. Please note that, for email attachments, only the following formats will be accepted: Word, Adobe PDF or JPG.

Supporting documents can also be mailed to:

Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Canada-CARICOM Virtual University Scholarship Program (CCVUSP)
220 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9 CANADA

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Further information

Canadian Virtual University (CVU) is an association of 10 Canadian universities specializing in online and distance education. Collectively, these universities offer over 2,500 courses and 350 degrees, diplomas and certificates available completely at a distance to students across Canada and around the world, in English and French.

CVU is committed to collaboration in the development, delivery and marketing of online degrees, as a means of ensuring quality, reducing costs, and presenting a strong single Canadian presence in the global marketplace for online education.

CVU was created in 2000 and has established a firm foundation for facilitating collaborative government-funded projects among its universities and reaching international students through its web site.

The Open Campus, the newest campus of the 60-year-old University of the West Indies (UWI), was formally launched in Antigua & Barbuda in June 2008. The Open Campus was formed from the integration of the four former outreach departments of the UWI, namely, the Office of the Board for Non-Campus Countries & Distance Education (BNCCDE), the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), the UWI Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), and the Tertiary Level Institutions Unit (TLIU). The UWI Open Campus offers multi-mode teaching and learning services through virtual and physical site locations across the Caribbean region. There are currently 42 Open Campus site locations in the region, serving 16 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The Open Campus has developed a unique approach in the Caribbean to enhancing the student experience in innovative pre-university, undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education study programmes and courses offered by distance, in blended, online and face-to-face modes. We offer a three-tiered registration structure to suit particular needs and educational backgrounds. The system allows our students to move and transfer within the entire University system to reach the required standard. All programmes and courses at the Open Campus have been designed in direct response to a need for high quality continuing and professional development in many key areas in the Caribbean and global markets.