Mystery benefactor opens doors to higher education at Gibraltar university

A mystery benefactor has offered to fund five three-year Business Administration degrees at the University of Gibraltar for students facing financial difficulties.

No details on the identity of the benefactor or the amount donated have been released, but one student has already benefited from their generosity.

A spokesman for the university confirmed that a Moroccan student with strong links to Gibraltar has been accepted for one of the scholarships and will be starting her three-year degree in Bachelors of Business Administration this academic year.

At an annual cost of around £9,250 for tuition fees, the Chronicle estimates the donation earmarked for the five scholarships to be in the region of around £150,000.

News of the scholarships was picked up by the Spanish press on Friday morning, with reports saying the grant was available for five students from La Línea.

The university’s Lead for Communication and Marketing, David Revagliatte, clarified that the scholarship was open to all nationalities.

“The scholarship is open to everyone, regardless of their nationality, who meets or exceeds the entry requirements but has been unable to access higher education for financial reasons,” he said.

“It is about widening access to higher education.”

Mr Revagliatte said the scholarships have been actively promoted by the University via social media posts, and are not just available to La Línea students, although they are also eligible to apply.

He added: “In order to raise awareness of the scholarship amongst regional students, the La Línea Ayuntamiento was informed.”

“No formal press announcement has been made by the University due to the imminent start of the course this academic year.”

“The priority has been to find a suitable student.”

Local students who are financially disadvantaged or who have not been eligible for the mandatory Government of Gibraltar scholarship scheme can also apply.

The scholarship will cover tuition fees for the full three-year Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Prospective students would need A-level grades of BCC or higher – or the international equivalent - to meet the entry requirements for the degree.

The response to the scholarship has been “limited, but very positive”, Mr Revagliatte added, with one student starting her degree this year.

For further details about the scholarship, get in touch with the University at info@unigib.edu.gi.

Photo by David Parody.