SLRCS launches schols for AL students

by Asha SENEVIRATHNE

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society launched an Education Scholarship Scheme for Advanced Level students who may encounter difficulties, due to financial constraints to continue their education after getting through Ordinary Level with satisfactory results.

President of SLRCS, Jagath Abeysinghe the originator of the concept says that schemes are operative for awarding scholarships to grade five students and undergraduates but not for A Level students the SLRCS Children's Scholarship Fund will contribute to overcome this gap.

The financial assistance under this scheme to a beneficiary will be an allowance of Rs. 1000 a month for the two years of AL students and is paid in advance at the start of every school term. The selection of recipients will be done by the Education Ministry on the recommendation of the school principals.`Nonimi Savi' scholarship provides a monthly Rs. 1000 to a student every year with the total of Rs. 150,000.

A donation of Rs. 25,000 to the fund enables to pay Rs. 1000 for a period of two years under the `Diri Jaya' scholarship.

Anyone interested in this task can offer two types of scholarships to this through contributing SLRCS Children's Scholarship Fund at the Bank of Ceylon at Hyde Park and the account number is 6504712. Contributions are subject to tax concessions.

The first cheque to the fund was handed over by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to President SLRCS Jagath Abeysinghe recently in memory of his late father D. A. Rajapaksa. Over 3,000 applications have been received from students to date for scholarships.This program is governed by a panel consisting SLRCS President Jagath Abeysinghe and Coordinating Secretary (Parliamentary Affairs) to the President, Kumarasiri Hettige and representatives of Education Ministry, Income Tax Department, Bank of Ceylon and several other banks and institutions.

Further details - Sudath Madugalle - 0773261555 Secretary of SLRCSF.

website: www.scholsredcross.com