Education Minister Thanks Appleby for Scholarship Award

Left to Right- Minister of Education and Culture the Honorable Andrew Fahie accompanied by Partner of Appleby Ms. Sally Cox and Managing Partner, Appleby BVI Office, Mr. Alexander J. Erskine after a press conference held at Central Administration Building on September 26 where Appleby announced a $150,000 scholarship award for legal studies. -Photo by Aldrin Rabsatt/GIS

The announcement was made by Managing Partner, Appleby BVI Office, Mr. Alexander J. Erkine during a press conference held on September 26. 

The award, which is part of Appleby’s Scholarship Award Programme, targets BVI natives or Belongers who intend to study law at the University of the West Indies.

The programme has two principal components which include the scholarship and a bursary award.  The bursary is for $5,000 per annum and it will be given to another student who was not successful in obtaining the scholarship but needs financial assistance.

Honourable Fahie said that Appleby has shown true leadership through this gesture.  “Appleby has gone where there is no path and has made a path and this is indeed noble,” he said.

 “The scholarship award that has been donated by Appleby is being given to nationals and this is tremendous.  They have taken a leap by moving into the educating of our people here in the BVI,” the Minister added.    ~~Adz:Right~~

The Minister is pleased that the scholarship is in the area of law and he noted that the BVI needs to continue to train its people in many different professional areas such as the offshore industry which is always in dire need of lawyers. “Appleby has stepped up to the plate and has become a beacon and this is what I call lighting a candle in a dark place and I hope that eventually other firms will follow,” he said.

On his last day in office, as Managing Partner of Appleby, Mr. Erskine thanked the Government for supporting Appleby and for assisting in publicising the first scholarship award that has ever been sponsored by an international law firm based in the British Virgin Islands.   “I am very proud of the initiative that Appleby has launched.  Appleby put education at the forefront of its efforts to play an important role in each of the offshore jurisdictions in which it operates,” he said.

He added, “We have existing scholarship schemes in each of the offshore jurisdictions where Appleby currently is based and I am proud that we have been able to introduce the scheme here which will be the legacy of my period as Managing Partner of Appleby BVI office.”

The scholarship award which is worth $30,000 per annum over the duration of the degree and professional practices, covers all tuition fees and subsidises books and living expenses as well provides a monthly allowance.

Selection criteria include academic performance, letters of recommendation and interviews with the scholarship committee.

The Territory has now joined the four other offshore jurisdictions namely–– Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Jersey and Mauritius where Appleby offers legal scholarships.