UBCO graduate students welcome funding increase
$6-million scholarship fund announced for graduate students at campuses in Kelowna and Vancouver
UBC Okanagan graduate students now have the opportunity to apply for new scholarships funded by the provincial government.
Melanie Mark, B.C.’s minister of advanced education, skills and training, was in Kelowna Wednesday to announce the $6-million scholarship fund, which will create 400 awards of $15,000 each for domestic graduate students at UBC’s campuses in Kelowna and Vancouver.
“The cost of education was out of reach for way too long, and our government is doing our best to catch up and level that playing field so that we are competitive,” said Mark.
The exact amount of scholarship money coming to UBC Okanagan students is unknown because they are competitive, based on merit.
“But I will tell you, I and the board of governors really want to increase the share that’s coming to the Okanagan campus,” said UBC president Santa Ono. “This is a major priority for the university.”
The scholarships are focused on research, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as professional, Indigenous and regional programs.
The funding will not only help students focus on their research instead of worrying about money, but will also help attract excellent students from across the country, said Ono.
“Investments in the next generation are really important for not just the wellness of the province, but also for the competitiveness of the economy,” he said.
A graduate scholarship fund has been a long time coming, said Ono.
“There have been requests for graduate scholarships for a long time, and this government has responded.”
UBC plans to match these scholarship funds through its current fundraising campaign, which is aiming to raise $100 million for new scholarships.
“We’re going to do our part to make graduate education more accessible and affordable,” said Ono.
Matthew Noestheden, a chemistry graduate student at UBC Okanagan, said the scholarship fund is welcomed by graduate students.
“I sit on the graduate council here at the university, and one of the primary grievances voiced by the graduate students is the need for more funding,” he said. “We need to have these funds to recruit and retain the calibre of graduate students that we need as a university to do the type of research that British Columbia needs to continue to compete provincially, nationally and internationally in the research space.”