PHILIPSBURG–St. Maarten student Nathalie Boston has won a Caribbean Hospitality and Tourism Association Education Fund (CHTAEF) study grant, St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) announced via Education board member Francio Guadeloupe of the University of St. Martin (USM).
CHTAEF offers scholarships and special assistance for the education of Caribbean tourism industry personnel and students pursuing tourism and hospitality careers. Since its inception in 1987, the fund contributed more than US $2 million in scholarships.
In 2016, the Education Foundation provided 28 scholarships to talents from across the Caribbean totalling more than $130,000. Last year, applicants spent their scholarships at University of the West Indies, Monroe College and Johnson and Wales University in the United States, amongst other institutions. The Education Fund contributions come from corporate sponsorship as well as a silent auction of hotel stays offered at the annual New York Times Travel Show, adding more than $100,000 to the fund.
The SHTA intensified its activity regarding the CHTAEF in 2017. The initiative aligns with the increasing ties of SHTA with St. Maarten educational institutions to create a perfect match of St. Maarten hospitality talent and job opportunities that the local hospitality sector can provide.
Next to intensified cooperation with Board Member USM, the association signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) and welcomed Milton Peters College (MPC) as an associate member. In a public call for applications on February 9, five applications of St. Maarteners studying both on and off island were sent in.
As applications throughout the Caribbean almost doubled this year towards 80 and students already enjoying the grant have an advantage over new applicants, SHTA is happy with the new grant made available even though it would have preferred all five applications to have been granted.
Together with its education board member, the SHTA team are actively seeking additional opportunities to assist promising St. Maarten hospitality students with study financing grants that are available at regional universities for 2018/2019, especially for those who need it most.
For the 2018/2019 school year, SHTA recommends St. Maarten students with financial difficulties, but with ambitions in higher education to take up contact as of today via email: office@shta.com. Applications will be reviewed by CHTAEF in spring 2018.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/67974-st-maarten-student-gets-chtaef-grant
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