Education
Higher Institution Education Grant
Helping students take the next step in their education
beneficiaries in the inaugural cohort
inaugural edition
LGA reached in the first edition
Admission to a higher institution is an important achievement. For students from families with limited resources, meeting the costs of that opportunity can still be difficult. GIPSED’s DMO scholarship for higher institution students provides financial support to help ease this burden.
A commitment shaped by experience
After losing his father as a child, Dr Michael Olugbile experienced periods when his family struggled to pay his fees at Odo-Otin Grammar School, Okuku. His mother was a teacher, and delayed salaries and household debts could disrupt the children’s schooling.
A scholarship from Bishop David Oyedepo’s Living Faith Church, together with help from other benefactors, supported his journey through medical school. While still a student, Michael set aside part of that support to help younger students with school and university entrance examination fees. The higher institution grant grew from this commitment to pass on the assistance he had received.
The inaugural edition
The programme opened in 2021 for students from Odo-Otin LGA who were studying, or newly admitted, at tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Applications were free and fully online, allowing students to apply by mobile phone wherever they were studying. The application period closed on 10 December 2021.
A total of 110 beneficiaries were selected. The award ceremony was organised for 31 December 2021 at Okuku Town Hall. The inaugural edition focused on Odo-Otin, with an intention to extend support to Ifelodun and Boripe as resources became available.
A selection process rooted in the community
GIPSED worked with the Federation of Odo-Otin Students’ Union (FOSU) and the presidents and vice-presidents of town students’ unions to share the application opportunity. A selection committee involving student leaders, the Nigeria Union of Teachers and GIPSED reviewed applications and agreed the selection criteria and allocation of places.
Applicants had to be indigenes of Odo-Otin LGA and current or newly admitted students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Student union leaders also helped applicants who needed assistance completing the form.
Supporting continued learning
The grant adds a further stage to GIPSED’s education support, alongside school scholarships and examination sponsorship. It helps students and families meet education expenses as they move into higher education.
The 2021 beneficiary record and photographs of the award gathering preserve the story of the first cohort. The original application period is closed.
2021 beneficiary record
From our communities
The programme in pictures
