MoBay Mayor’s Charity Fund comes good for Salt Spring law student
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From left: Richard Vernon, mayor of Montego Bay, presents a cheque to Wayne White, a final-year law student, covering $100,000 in scholarship assistance from the Mayor’s Charity Fund. Sharing the occasion are Gregory Harris, councillor for the Salt Spring Division, and sponsor Mark Hall of Hall’s Investment.
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Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon (fifth from right) shares the handover ceremony with councillors from the St James Municipal Corporation, members of the business community who sponsored the Mayor’s Charity Fund, and the 23 scholarship recipients.
WESTERN BUREAU:
Law student Wayne White of Salt Spring, St James, who had asked Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon for $20,000 to help him clear an outstanding law school bill, got more than he bargained for.
White was recently presented with a $100,000 scholarship from the Mayor’s Charity Fund.
In addition to being able to cover the existing bill, he is now in a position to meet expenses for his final year at the Norman Manley Law School.
White is one of 23 tertiary students who received a combined sum of $3 million in assistance from the Mayor’s Charity Fund to help finance the various educational programmes they are pursuing at various institutions of higher learning.
For White, the award comes as he prepares to repeat one course, beginning on September 14, having financed approximately $1.5 million in tuition during the 2025-26 academic year through sponsorship support from several people.
“If I don’t make the payment, the balance would remain, and I would not be able to get my qualification,” White told The Gleaner, while clutching his letter of commitment, which covers the $100,000 that will go to the Norman Manley Law School.
“This is more than just a sponsorship, It is a new lease in life. It is a key to a new door,” he added, describing what the funding means to him and his educational pursuit.
White said he initially contacted Vernon on a whim, asking for $20,000. However, instead of providing the money directly, Vernon directed him to apply to the Mayor’s Charity Fund.
“I applied, and I was successful,” he said, noting that the assistance will significantly ease the financial burden he was facing.
Vernon, who is also chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation, said the fund assisted 12 tertiary students last year, and a decision was taken to increase the number to 23 this year. Of the recipients, 21 are pursuing bachelor’s degrees.
He said the assistance is not the same for every recipient, as the amount given depends on the course being pursued and its attendant financial demands.
Vernon also pointed out that some programmes, particularly medical sciences and nursing, carry significantly higher tuition costs, meaning that a $100,000 grant would only go so far in covering a student’s overall expenses.
“For some people, especially those doing medical sciences and nursing, it may be a fraction of their tuition, but it is significant,” he said.
Vernon said the fund raised and distributed more than $3 million between September 2025 and September 2026, bringing the amount raised over the two-year period to approximately $6 million.
According to Vernon, Jamaica must move beyond preparing students only for basic secondary-level qualifications and place greater emphasis on tertiary education if the country is to build a more productive workforce. He argued that the time has come to “move beyond five CXC subjects”.
The Mayor’s Charity Fund operates under the theme ‘Bridging the city’s gap through partnership’, and is heavily supported through contributions from various sponsors.
albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com