100 students at tertiary institutions all throughout the country have received scholarships from the multinational telecommunications company MTN Ghana as part of the MTN Bright Scholarship Reloaded program.
The scholarships were given out by MTN through its social intervention division, the MTN Ghana Foundation.
As part of the scholarship package, MTN will cover the cost of the student's tuition and accommodation in addition to giving them a laptop computer and a stipend of GH1,150 every semester.
George Kyei Frimpong, an executive at MTN, stated during the awards event in Accra that the scholarship program targeted gifted, deserving students and was a part of MTN's commitment to invest in people's quality of life.
"The MTN Ghana Foundation, since its inception has committed itself to provide sustainable projects in health, education and economic empowerment to improve livelihoods," he said.
Dr Gloria Asare, a board member of the MTN Ghana Foundation, described the scholarship in more detail. She added that this year, the foundation made the decision to prioritize students pursuing courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as vocational and technical skills.
The six newly established regions of Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, Northeast, Western North, and Oti were also areas of attention for the selection committee, as were students who were physically challenged and were enrolled in information and communications technology (ICT) courses.
MTN chose to extend the MTN Bright Scholarship for an additional three years with a fresh emphasis and dynamism due to its high success record, she added.
"The 300 beneficiaries of the first batch of MTN Bright Scholarship all had the same challenge, lack of funding while in school. Bright Scholarship became the turning point for them: MTN Bright Scholarship changed their lives for good,” she said.
She believed that the scholarship would have a good effect on the recipients' lives and help them become future leaders in addition to easing the financial load on the students and enabling them to successfully complete their school.
Some of the recipients thanked MTN for enabling them to have a top-notch education so they could follow their ambitions.
Faridatu Ali, one of the recipients, claimed that without MTN's assistance, her schooling may have been cut short due to her parents' precarious financial position.