Professor. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Tuesday inaugurated the Student's Financial Office meant to support needy, but brilliant and promising students.

The office was born out of the idea that the university would give equal opportunities to students, regardless of their background to access quality education.

"We strongly believe that, poverty should not be a barrier to education and that is why this office has the mandate of assisting students financially to meet their educational needs,Prof Edu- Buandoh indicated.

She said, the financial support would be in various forms such as full or partial scholarship, the provision of accommodation, fee arrangements and on-campus work study or part time jobs for students.

At the inauguration, she also launched the students' scholarship programme for the 2020/2021 academic year.

The Pro Vice Chancellor said that the Office had collaborated and patterned some selected scholarship institutions in the country and it would be accessible for qualified students in the university

To enhance effective and efficient information delivery to students, the office would engage and communicate fully with all supporting institutions.

The Pro-VC expressed her heartfelt gratitude to stakeholders who assisted and invested in organizing the activities of the office from the scratch till it materialisation.

For his part, Mr. Alfred Ghartey, the Students Financial support Administrator, said the office which was established in December 2019 would provide financial support in the forms of bursaries, and scholarships including; a work and study programmes for students.
In order to keep the Office running, he said, it would engage in an aggressive fund raising from individuals and corporate bodies, adding that the Scholarship programmes would look at all category of students be it distance, regular undergraduates and post graduates students.

On the Criteria for selection for qualified students, Mr. Ghartey indicated that, students should be a Ghanaian by birth, complete at least one academic year of study at the University, be able to demonstrate financial need and should have a cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.5 to 2.999 or 3.00 and above .

Mr Ghartey who is also the Assistant Registrar of the same Office, noted that, students must maintain excellent academic progress to be retained on the scholarship scheme.

"The services we provide here is absolutely free and we have not engaged any individual or body to provide the services in our stead". He further stated.