Academic Association gives scholarships even after being «ignored» by AMAL

The 32 scholarships have a value of 697 euros and will be given to all students who were excluded from the scholarships of the Directorate-General for Higher Education

Photo: Flávio Costa | Sul Informação

The Academic Association of the University of Algarve (AAAUAlg) wanted to have the support of municipalities to give scholarships, but says it was "completely ignored". Only Castro Marim accepted the request, while AMAL – Comunidade Intermunicipal do Algarve defends itself, saying that «it does not provide subsidies». Now, it will be AAUAlg itself to advance with 30 scholarships.

The AAUAlg scholarship project, which was born in 2020 by the hands of Raquel Jacob, returned this year, already under the presidency of Fábio Zacarias.

The objective was clear: to provide 85 scholarships, 20 financed by the Academic Association and 65 supported by the municipalities.

Without the support of the municipalities, with the exception of Castro Marim, only 32 grants will be given – 30, paid by AAUAlg, and two by the Castromarin local authority.

The scholarships have a value of 697 euros – the equivalent of the annual tuition fee for any degree or Integrated Masters – and will be given to all students who are excluded from support from the Directorate-General for Higher Education.

 

Fábio Zacarias – Photo: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação

 

The project, which AAUAlg says contributes «to the fixation of young people in the region», was presented, in March, to the AMAL secretariat, but «there was never an opportunity for a presentation to the Intermunicipal Council of the Algarve».

Ao Sul Informação, Fábio Zacarias, president of Associação Académica, guaranteed that all attempts at contact were unsuccessful.

“We were completely ignored and we didn't understand why. No one apologized, » she said.

The AAUAlg still tried to meet with the municipalities individually.

“We had meetings with Faro, Portimão, Lagoa, Aljezur, Castro Marim and Loulé, but only Castro Marim decided to join our project», he lamented.

Confronted by our newspaper with his lack of response, António Pina, president of AMAL, replied, in a laconic way, that he “cannot specify the date of that meeting request”.

The argument of the also mayor of Olhão is that the Intermunicipal Community «does not provide subsidies» and that having the municipalities finance these AAUAlg scholarships «does not make sense».

 

António Pina – Photo: Hugo Rodrigues | Sul Informação

 

«In Olhão, for example, there would be an overlap, because we already give scholarships», justified António Pina.

But in Castro Marim… that's exactly what will happen.

«We already have our scholarships, both for higher and secondary education, and we decided, even so, to accept» this proposal, he explained to Sul Informação mayor Francisco Amaral.

For the mayor of Castro Marim, this is «a very positive initiative on the part of the Academic Association, which immediately received our approval».

«Being able to extend this possibility to more students was what made us go ahead», he considered.

Francisco Amaral also regretted that the other municipalities had not joined the project.

«It's very ugly that someone stops studying just because they don't have money». he concluded.

 

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