THE Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) is encouraging its members and tourism and hospitality students interested in furthering their studies to apply for 2017 Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) Scholarships.

The deadline for this year’s applications is Thursday, March 30, for Caribbean students and industry specialists who want to purse higher education or professional development in the tourism and hospitality field.
Applications, which are available online via www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com/about-the-foundation/apply-for-scholarship, must be submitted to the CHTA with the approval of the BHTA in order to be considered.

In a joint statement, CHTAEF Chairman Richard Kahn and Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) President Karolin Troubetzkoy stated: “We are extremely grateful for the support we received from hotels over the past year for the Education Foundation. We wish to particularly single out corporate partners Interval International and Virgin Holidays for their unstinting commitment to Caribbean education.”

Past recipients have attended accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States, the Caribbean and around the world, with a concentration on tourism and hospitality related studies. The Foundation also has partner arrangements with a number of schools, including Johnson & Wales University, Monroe College and Florida International University, where students may be eligible to receive additional scholarship support, based upon their award through the Foundation. Scholarships are also available for industry professionals, including those pursuing internationally recognized certifications.

Reapplying scholarship recipients who are continuing their education and received a CHTAEF scholarship in 2016 need to provide a copy of their most recent transcripts to verify their academic progress. The school transcripts can be e-mailed to foundation@caribbeanhotelandtourism.com .

In 2016, CHTAEF awarded 28 scholarships to Caribbean-based students for a total of US$130,352 in funding. This enabled Caribbean nationals to pursue higher education in hospitality and tourism fields.

CHTAEF provides academic, professional development, tourism and hospitality teachers, work experience placements and internship awards to Caribbean nationals who demonstrate a strong commitment to the industry. Scholarships range, on average, from US$500 to $5,000 and are exclusively used towards tuition costs.