(Left to Right) Ms Jessica Taylor, Administrative Specialist (UVI), Ms. Verna Rivers, Dean of Students - St. Thomas Campus (UVI), Dr. Richard Georges, Director of Institutional Advancement( HLSCC), Dr. Haldane Davies, Vice President of Business Development & Innovation (UVI), Mrs. Eileene Parsons, Deputy Chair (HLSCC) , Dr. Charles Wheatley, Chairman of the Board (HLSCC), Mrs. Judith Vanterpool, President of HLSCC and Ms.Bernadine Louis, Dean of WorkForce Training Division (HLSCC). Photo: Provided

According to Dr Davies, “One of the highlights of this MoU… is the adjustment in tuition that will be paid by our students attending UVI whether in person, attending the three locations or online or sitting in a Zoom Classroom from here at HLSCC and zooming into any of our classrooms at any of our locations.” Photo: VINO

This announcement was made at a signing ceremony yesterday, April 8, 2019, at the HLSCC where its President, Mrs Judith Vanterpool and Board Chairman, Dr Charles H. Wheatley made the agreement with UVI Vice President of Innovation and Development, Dr Haldane Davies and Dean of Students Saint Thomas Campus, Ms Verna J. Rivers.

Reduced Tuition 

According to Dr Davies, “One of the highlights of this MoU… is the adjustment in tuition that will be paid by our students attending UVI whether in person, attending the three locations or online or sitting in a Zoom Classroom from here at HLSCC and zooming into any of our classrooms at any of our locations.”

He said that it is an adjustment of the in-territory tuition which results in an almost six thousand dollars tuition scholarship, “Each student from the Virgin Islands will receive each year that you enroll in the University of the Virgin Islands (US).”

Adding to what already exists, the two entities now provide an opportunity for students to not only attend UVI but to attend about 180 other sister institutions, in relations with the UVI.

“So you may take one year off from [UVI] go to school in Canada, or in California or in Mexico and transfer all those credits back. They would be accepted by us and all you will pay is the same tuition that you pay at UVI and you receive that additional experience as a part of your growth and development,” Dr Davies said.

One Caribbean

According to the Dr, “It is one Caribbean, we must be able to help and assist one another,” he said while noting that the opportunity is opened to anyone residing in the Virgin Islands (VI) even if they were not “born here”.

The MoU also makes provisions for HLSCC students to benefit from the UVI’s two plus two and two plus three programmes which allows for students that have studied at HLSCC, to transfer with their credits to the UVI to further their studies. The institution also offers some 52 programmes which are also offered online and across the world. 

Further, the UVI also boasts of its improved abilities to conduct researches with more funding now available for same, “In addition to our $42ML budget, we add another twenty to twenty-five million dollars in research grants that we receive annually from the Federal Government and a number of other public and private agencies to conduct research in a number of different areas.”