There are already 41 first-year students at the University of Algarve who have benefited from the Excellence Scholarships and the prospect is that this number will rise. The number of companies that joined this “good tradition” of the Algarve Higher Education Institution increased in 2016/17, as well as the number of scholarships awarded, a sign that this initiative is about to last.
Students who entered the Algarve university this year with averages above 15 values received incentives from various companies, in the region and nationwide, in a ceremony that took place on Saturday at the Grand Auditorium of the UAlg Campus das Gambelas.
Three more scholarship holders took to the stage than last year, due to the increase in the number of scholarships awarded, which grew from 38 to 41. Currently, there are 35 companies that award scholarships to first-year students of excellence at UAlg, plus two more than the year before. The value of the scholarships is 969 euros, the equivalent of one year of tuition fees for the 1st cycle of UAlg.
“This is a great social responsibility project. Year after year I have highlighted the courage and daring of these companies, which recognize that higher education is very important for the country's development», considered the dean of UAlg António Branco, who admits that this is already a «good tradition» of the institution.
“This is the fifth time we have awarded scholarships and we have no sign that the program will be stopped. On the contrary: the indications we have are that it is evolving positively, because there are more companies joining and the number of exchanges is increasing». added.
For the fifth consecutive year, representatives of the patrons, supported students and their respective families and friends came together to receive merit certificates and participate in the symbolic act of awarding the scholarships. And there was still time for the testimony and some good-humored advice from an ex-student of the institution, Élio Vicente, now a senior responsible for the Zoomarine Park, and for the assurance of the student who got the best admission grade, Maria Carolina Brito, who entrepreneurs “will not regret” the support they provided.
Élio Vicente is, moreover, a regular presence at the award ceremonies for the UAlg Excellence Scholarships, as Zoomarine is one of the companies that joined the initiative right from the first edition. And the reason for doing so is simple, in the view of the former UAlg student. “It was very easy. One of the first courses at this university was Marine Biology, which I graduated from years later. When a program of this nature was created, which integrates the values we defend, it made perfect sense to join us», revealed Élio Vicente, on the sidelines of the session.
Zoomarine also innovated, by deciding to maintain the support of payment of tuition fees to one of the student to whom it awarded a scholarship, in 2014, the student who had the highest entry grade at UAlg that year and who left a moving account of determination to continue his studies, despite this implying a move from Fátima to the Algarve and the financial difficulties experienced by his family.
“Ana gave a speech that left us all with our hearts in our hands. She revealed to us that she did not know if she would be able to return after the Christmas break due to the financial difficulties of her parents, who were both unemployed. As soon as the speech was over and we came out onto the street, several of us, including me and the dean [António Branco], talked and said that we would have to find a way to continue his studies», said Élio Vicente.
The awarded students are grateful for the availability of the companies that award the scholarships, as this support allows them to start their university life more smoothly, at an economic level. And there are already those who are already betting heavily on good performance during secondary school, to try to secure this award.
This is the case of young Olhanense Tiago Graça, who entered the Psychology course at UAlg this year with an average of 17,5 points. «I already had some hope of being one of those contemplated. I found out about the existence of this program when I was in 11th grade, because a friend of mine was contemplated, and I tried to keep the highest average in 12th grade to see if I could," he revealed.
Tiago and the others awarded the merit award this school year are just beginning their academic journey, but there are many older colleagues who benefited from the same award who have already finished their studies. In this field, the investment seems to be paying off, as of the 29 students who received Excellence Scholarships and who could have already finished the course, 24 finished it in the three regulatory years and only one had a lower final average. to 15 values. Of the five who have not finished their degree, only two continue to study at UAlg. There are still two students in five-year courses, that is, who do not count for this statistic yet.
The 41 scholarships awarded in this school year motivated an investment of more than 40 thousand euros by the companies involved, in addition to the 143 euros already awarded in the four previous editions of the UAlg Excellence Scholarships. The complete list of patrons and all students covered by the measure can be consulted here.
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