The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is reminding the community of the 2024 Alva C. McFarlane Scholarship program. This annual scholarship opportunity is open to graduating high school seniors, and freshman and sophomore college students who are enrolled in an engineering program, including UVI’s 3-2 engineering program.
The Authority is accepting online applications awarding up to $60,000 in financial support to provide educational opportunities for the youth of the territory through February 26, 2024.
The scholarship program provides opportunities in two (2) categories:
Graduating high school seniors who reside in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Freshmen and sophomore college students who are enrolled, or plan to enroll, in an engineering program.
Associate's / Technical Degree- up to $20,000 financial assistance in Electrical Engineering Technology, Electronics Engineering, or a related field.
Scholarships in each category are offered per district.
To be considered, applicants must be U.S. citizens and residents with no criminal record. Selection criteria include academic achievement, scores on standardized college admission tests, community involvement, and performance in a panel interview. The UVI applicant must be accepted into or enrolled in UVI’s Engineering Program to be deemed eligible for the scholarship. Eligible costs include room and board, tuition, books, fees, and supplies.
The Alva C. McFarlane scholarship program was developed to assist in preparing young and upcoming engineers for positions within the public utility, and over the years the Authority has benefited from scholarship recipients who have returned to work at WAPA. McFarlane, who was instrumental in developing the scholarship at WAPA, served the USVI’s youth as Director of Apprenticeship and Training at the V.I. Department of Labor.