All children who leave government high schools at the end of Year 11 will have taken either GCSEs or CXCs.
However, since the Cayman Islands Government does not currently offer A Levels in their high schools, they have made provision, by way of a financial scholarship, for all children who qualify with the required grades, to either take A Levels at one of the private schools, a BTEC or Associate's Degree at UCCI or ICCI, or the IB at CIS. Scholarships have also been awarded to students who want to study A Levels in the UK for subjects not available locally, but the amount awarded is equal to the cost of tuition here in Cayman.
A Level Students
If a Caymanian government high school student has the qualifying grades and is formally accepted into the A Level programme at either Cayman Prep & High School (CPHS), St. Ignatius Catholic School or Clever Fish (CF), the student can get funding towards tuition, books, and examination feesfor each of the[SS1.1] two A Level years subject to the student meeting the necessary academic requirements. Students need to apply to the Scholarship Secretariat for the funding, and they must have Dual Enrolment approval from the Department of Education Services. Parents need to be prepared to pay for other incidentals, including Parent Teacher Association (PTA) fees and uniforms. To qualify for the aforementioned financial assistance, students need to have achieved a minimum of five IGCSE/GCSE/CXC (PE and life skills cannot count towards the five) passes at grade C or higher, and have passed English and mathematics. To qualify for funding in the second year of the course, students must achieve a minimum of three C grades in their AS Level exams at the end of the first year of their A Level course. Any money received from the Scholarship Secretariat is paid directly to the school and cannot be used for uniforms or any other incidentals. The scholarship is no longer means tested and is now open to all Caymanian students, hence, employment letters and other financial details are no longer required to be submitted with the application.Some children also leave Cayman at age 16 and go to England to take A Levels or a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma at a boarding school or Sixth Form college. In the UK state school system (government schooling), if a child has a British passport, they are ‘fee-free’ until they turn 19 years of age. The Scholarship Secretariat will contribute up to the equivalent of the local tuition amount towards the student’s tuition and living expenses, if attending a boarding school, but only if the A Level/BTEC is not available locally. Note: Scholarship funding is not provided if the student is attending a regular public high school A Level programme which has no fees.
State boarding schools in the UK are therefore a realistic option for Cayman families whose children want to take A Levels, would like to experience somewhere other than Cayman and have a British passport. See page 186 for more information on how a Caymanian can apply for a British passport. Fees per year average £12,000 and they all offer very good academics, as well as a full programme of sports and after-school activities that include numerous trips out of school in the evenings and at the weekend. If you apply for a scholarship to cover the fees, the Scholarship Secretariat have said they will consider any and all applications.
Caymanian students who have attended a private school in Cayman, and have been accepted into the A Level programme, having achieved a minimum of five IGCSE/GCSE/CXC passes at grade C or higher, including English and maths, can also apply for assistance with the fees for their A Level course. Successful students can get financial assistance towards tuition, books, and examination fees for each of the two years of their A Level course. Students must have achieved three C grades in their AS Levels to get funding for their second year.
International Baccalaureate Students
If a Caymanian wants to take the two-year IB diploma course either in Cayman at CIS they can apply to the Scholarship Secretariat for a scholarship to help towards the fees. The Scholarship Secretariat requires that the student is registered in the full IB diploma with a minimum GPA of 3.25 with no grade lower than a C in their first year of study of IB and, to receive money in the second year, have a recommendation from the relevant institution to continue with their IB studies into the second year.Associate's Degree Students
If a Caymanian government high school student chooses to finish their secondary education doing an Associate’s Degree at UCCI or ICCI, then they can apply for the tuition and book fees to be paid. However, all students who have not achieved grade B or above in English and maths are mandated to take remedial maths and English at college level, as well as college skill classes and career classes. Historically, educators say that if a student fails English and maths at IGCSE/GCSE/CXC, they are likely to fail their Associate's Level course. That fail then remains on their academic record, affecting their university accumulative performance, the student’s ability to get into other universities, and their ability to get a scholarship to help with funding. The Associate's Degree takes about 2.5 years at UCCI (with 68 credits) or 18 months at ICCI (which is a quarter-term institution) and students will graduate with an Associate’s Degree worth 90 credits.If any other Caymanian student wants to do an Associate’s Degree at UCCI/ICCI, they can also get funding towards both years of their course if they have achieved enough passes in external exams to qualify to take the course.
AP & CAPE Students
Scholarship funding of up to CI$7,000 is available to Caymanian students who are going into their final two years of studying Advance Placements (AP). Caymanian students taking the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations[SS2.1] (CAPE) get both of their final two years of tuition paid in full (up to CI$14,000 per year).BTEC Diploma Students
If a student would rather do a course that includes lots of hands-on special project assignments and work experience, then they might want to choose a BTEC Level 1, 2 or 3 Diploma, depending on their prior skills, experience and qualifications. Government high schools in Cayman offer BTEC Level 1 and 2 courses, and CIFEC offers BTEC Level 1 and 2 courses, as well as the first year (only) of since you can only attend CIFEC for one year and the full diploma is a two-year course). Note: the Cayman Islands Government now pays the external exam fees for all Caymanians taking BTEC exams.Technical Vocational Study Programmes (TVET)
To be considered for an overseas scholarship for a Technical/Vocational Study Programme (TVET), such as Auto Mechanics, Computer Engineering, Building Construction Technology or Radiography Technician, you must have one of the following: 1) five higher level GCSE/CXC subject passes at grade C or above, including maths and English language; 2) three higher GCSE/CXC passes at grade C, or above with 99 Foundation Maths and English at grade B or above from UCCI or ICCI; 3) a cumulative high school GPA of 2.75 or higher, including Maths and English language passes at grade C or above; or 4) a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in your first year of study at UCCI or other institution with professional or academic work in the desired course of study. The Education Council have compiled a list of technical/vocational study programmes that they will approve scholarships for.Scholarships are also available to students wanting to stay in Cayman and take a Technical and Vocational Certificate or Diploma at one of the four approved TVET institutions. This application is open year-round and approved every quarter. Funding is up to CI$15,000 and there is no limit to the number of times an applicant can apply for a scholarship once they complete the previous course.
There are now four institutions in Cayman that offer TVET courses that qualify for scholarship funding: Brainchild Learning & Development Centre, Cayman Career Academy, the Financial Services Institute, and Inspire Cayman Training. All offer TVET courses that have been approved for scholarship funding.
Note: The Scholarship Secretariat will not approve any scholarship funding unless the course will lead to a certificate or diploma. In some cases, to be approved for a specific course at these institutions you have to have a minimum of 3 higher level passes (CXC or GCSE) or their equivalent qualifications, including English and/or mathematics.
Scholarships for Online Studies
Government educational scholarships are available to pursue online at the local undergraduate level at ICCI and the UWI Global Campus. Online study with an overseas institution is only available at the postgraduate degree level (i.e. Master's level or higher).For far more information, visitthe Scholarship Secretariat's website.
GPA – Grade Point Average
A GPA of 4.0 is the equivalent of an A, 3.5 GPA is the equivalent of a B+, 3.0 GPA is the equivalent of a B and a 2.0 GPA is the equivalent of a C. To qualify for an overseas scholarship to attend university, the student must finish with a GPA of at least 3.0 or 3 x A Levels at C grade.
Note on University Entry Requirements
For those students wanting to go to university, it is worth them checking the entry criteria at a few different universities to get a clear idea of where they need to aim. The universities will clearly outline what subjects they require you to have taken at A Level (or its equivalent) and what results they require for you to be considered for entry to the course.
Documents Required for Secondary School Funding
- A completed application form
- Official high school or college transcript (final transcripts may be uploaded after closing date)
- Birth Certificate and Status letter/Right to be Caymanian certificate
- Letter of Acceptance (may be uploaded after closing date)
- Personal Statement (to include why you are deserving of a scholarship, how you plan to use that A Level, what you intend to do with it, how it will be beneficial to the community)
- Cover Letter
- One passport-sized photograph
Check the scholarship information page on https://moescholarships.gov.ky/ for further details. The application period for local scholarship funding is 1st March to 30th April. Late applications will not be considered.
