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§ Pillar 02 · Education · Academic Path

Scholarships, in design.

INC-USA scholarships are not yet running. We’re designing the program now — proposed tiers, eligibility, and review process below. Help us shape it before the first cycle opens.

Express interestFund a future scholar
DesignPhase
0Cycles run
3Tiers proposed
TBDFirst cycle date
§ 01 · The Proposed Pipeline

Five stages. Proposed for the inaugural cycle.

Designed for transparency
every cycle.
§ 01

Application

Opens January

The portal opens the first week of January. Students submit transcripts, a personal essay, two references, and proof of admission or enrollment.

§ 02

Review

February — March

The Education Committee reviews every file. Academic merit, financial need, community service, and alignment with the mission are scored separately.

§ 03

Interview

April

Shortlisted applicants meet the committee by video. Twenty minutes. We ask about the subject you'd teach for free, and the person you plan to become.

§ 04

Notification

May

Decisions land by email on the same day, to every applicant. Awardees receive a welcome packet. Non-awardees receive detailed feedback and appeal options.

§ 05

Disbursement

Fall semester

Funds are wired directly to the school's registrar or to the verified student account, on the date tuition is due. Stipends begin the first full week of term.

§ 02 · The Tracks

Three tracks + one honor. Sized to real Nigerian school costs.

Primary · Secondary · Tertiary
+ Iwere Honor Award · Convention 2026
Track 01 · Primary
$200/ year

Primary Access

Full coverage for an Itsekiri primary school pupil in the Niger Delta — fees, books, uniform, and exam levies. Continues the historic INC-USA primary stipend at a reasonable, defensible amount per pupil.

  • Primary 1 – Primary 6
  • Niger Delta · Delta State
  • Fees + books + uniform + exam
  • Renewable each session
Track 02 · Secondary
$300/ year

Iwere Secondary

Full coverage for a Junior or Senior Secondary student (JSS 1 – SSS 3) in the Niger Delta. Pays school fees, books, uniform, exam fees, and the WAEC/NECO registration in SSS 3.

  • JSS 1 – SSS 3
  • Niger Delta · Delta State
  • Fees + books + uniform + WAEC
  • Renewable each session
Track 03 · Tertiary
$600/ year

Iwere Scholar

Tuition + books support for an Itsekiri tertiary student (university, polytechnic, or college of education) in Nigeria. Pairs each scholar with a diaspora mentor in their field.

  • Federal / state / private institutions
  • Tuition + books + departmental fees
  • Pairs with a diaspora mentor
  • Renewable up to 4 years
Honor Award · Inaugural at Convention 2026

The Iwere Honor Award.

A one-time award presented at Convention 2026 — to a top graduating Senior Secondary student (5+ Distinctions at WAEC) or a graduating Iwere Scholar entering postgraduate study. May be named in honor of a donor, elder, or family.

  • One award per cycle
  • Presented at Convention
  • Open to naming by donor / elder
  • Top WAEC leaver or graduating Iwere Scholar
One-time · Convention 2026
$1,500/ one-time
Inaugural · 2026
§ 03 · Eligibility

Six requirements. All six must be met.

No exceptions
without appeal.
✓Itsekiri heritageDocumented ancestry — at least one parent or grandparent of Itsekiri origin. Self-attestation plus one community reference accepted.
✓Accredited institutionAdmission letter or current enrolment at a primary, secondary, or tertiary institution accredited by the Federal Ministry of Education or the relevant state ministry.
✓Academic standingPrimary: pass each term. Secondary: at least 5 Credits (C6 or better) at the end of each session, including English and Mathematics where applicable. Tertiary: maintain CGPA of 3.50 / 5.00 (Second Class Upper, ‘2:1’) or better. The Nigerian university scale is 5.00 — a 2:1 is the standard graduate-hire bar.
✓Community service recordEvidence of service — school, religious, or community. One written account, plus contact for a supervisor who can verify.
✓Financial need shownParent or guardian income statement, or an equivalent affidavit. Awards are weighted toward families that would otherwise withdraw a child from school.
✓Two referencesOne academic (a class teacher, head teacher, or lecturer) and one non-academic (clergy, employer, community elder). Neither reference may be a family member.
§ 05 · How Awards Are Funded

Every dollar has a scholar's name on it.

501(c)(3) · EIN 33-3023590
Tax-deductible
§ Donor stewardship

You fund a student. We report on that student.

Scholarships are funded by members, alumni, and directed donor gifts. Every awarded dollar is tagged to a named scholar before it is spent. Donors receive two annual updates on their funded scholar — one at term-end and one at year-end — including transcripts, a handwritten note, and the student's own words on what the award made possible.

Administrative costs are covered separately through membership dues. One hundred percent of scholarship gifts reach a student.

Three ways to fund a scholar

  1. 01General scholarship fund — your gift is pooled and allocated by the Education Committee to the student with the greatest need and the strongest fit.
  2. 02Named scholarship — fund a full track in your family’s name or in honor of a teacher, parent, or ancestor. From $200/yr (one Primary pupil) up to $1,500 (Iwere Honor Award).
  3. 03Sponsor a cohort — a sustaining gift covers a cohort across one school session: e.g. $2,400 sponsors 8 Secondary scholars for the year, or $3,000 sponsors 5 Tertiary scholars.
Fund a Scholar Name a scholarship
§ 06 · Frequently asked

Six questions we answer every cycle.

Still unclear?
Write the Education Committee →
Can a scholarship be renewed?
Yes. Primary and Secondary tracks renew each session based on continued enrolment and a passing report card (5 Credits at C6 or better at SSS level, including English and Maths). The Iwere Scholar tertiary track renews annually provided the student maintains a CGPA of 3.50 / 5.00 (Second Class Upper, ‘2:1’) and submits a one-page reflection each session. Renewal is not automatic — the Education Committee reviews every file every year.
Are diaspora students eligible?
Year 1 of the Iwere Scholar Fund is focused on the Niger Delta homeland — primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions in Nigeria. A diaspora track for Itsekiri students at U.S./U.K./Canadian universities is being designed for a future cycle and will be announced separately. Students already on full scholarships from another body may still apply for a supplemental book stipend.
Do part-time students qualify?
Part-time enrollment is considered case by case. We award at least one part-time scholarship per cycle, usually to a student balancing school with caregiving or employment. Applicants should write a clear explanation of the part-time schedule and its timeline to graduation in the personal essay.
Are specific universities favored?
No. INC-USA funds students, not schools. The only requirement is that the institution is accredited by its country's education ministry. Public universities, private universities, polytechnics, and trade schools are all eligible. The committee does not favor prestige; it favors fit, need, and trajectory.
What are the hard deadlines?
Applications open the first week of January and close the last day of February. Interviews run in April. Notifications go out on a single day in May — awardees and non-awardees receive their letters simultaneously. Disbursement lands the first full week of the fall semester. Late applications are held for the following cycle; none are reviewed off-schedule.
Can a decision be appealed?
Yes. Non-awardees receive detailed feedback with their decision letter. Any applicant may submit a written appeal within thirty days citing new information, a missed document, or a scoring concern. The appeals committee is composed of three members who did not review the original file. Decisions on appeal are final and issued within sixty days.
§ 07 · Apply

Express interest. Be in the inaugural cohort.

First cycle opens
TBD · 2026–27 academic session
§ Applications · interest list

Ten minutes. One form. Three tracks.

A single form covers all three tracks (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary). Submit your interest now and we’ll notify you the day the inaugural cycle opens — with the deadline, documents required, and the review committee’s scoring rubric. Decisions land within four weeks of cycle close.

OpensJanuary · annual
ClosesLast day of February
DecisionMay — single day
Appeal window30 days
Open the application See past awardeesAsk a question

Brilliance is not rare here. Funding is.

We’re building an Itsekiri scholarship program that meets Nigerian school costs honestly — Primary, Secondary, Tertiary — and we’re looking for charter sponsors and reviewers to shape the inaugural cycle. Help us seat the first cohort.

Sponsor a Scholar Express interest