MTN Ghana has awarded scholarships to 500 students and teachers for the 2026/2027 academic year under its flagship MTN Bright Scholarship initiative, aimed at supporting brilliant but financially needy individuals to pursue their educational ambitions.The scholarship, spearheaded by the MTN Ghana Foundation, provides financial assistance to beneficiaries through tuition fees, hostel accommodation, stipends and laptops to support their academic work and research.The award ceremony brought together beneficiaries, guardians, academics and MTN officials to celebrate the opportunities created through the initiative.Senior Manager of MTN Scholarship, Robert Kuzoe, said the current cohort forms part of a three-year programme designed to support 500 beneficiaries annually, comprising 300 students and 200 teachers, with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and related disciplines.“This is the second cohort that we are doing. And with each cohort, we give scholarships to 500 needy but brilliant students. Also, we’ve not left out teachers; we do the same for teachers. So, with the 500, we have 300 students and then 200 teachers who are also in the STEM areas.”Now, the scholarship comes with tuition, hostel fees, a stipend, and also a laptop just for the students to be comfortable and be able to study hard and do their own research in school,” he asserted.Mr Kuzoe urged beneficiaries to make the most of the opportunity and use their education to contribute meaningfully to society.He said the scholarship is open to eligible applicants from both public and private universities, provided they fall within the designated STEM and STEAM categories. He added that the programme also seeks to encourage women to pursue science-related fields.“Applications are open to all universities, provided you find yourself within the STEM and STEAM categories. Women are also encouraged to find their way into the sciences. So it’s open to all, but it’s very competitive because you have to apply, you’ll be interviewed, you go to a shortlisting process,” he noted.According to Mr Kuzoe, more than 5,000 applications were received nationwide, with the number reduced to 1,200 during shortlisting before the final 500 beneficiaries were selected, highlighting the competitive nature of the programme.He explained that the annual allocation of 500 scholarships is intended to run for three years, after which MTN will consider the next steps for the initiative.For some beneficiaries, the scholarship represents a significant relief from the financial challenges that have threatened their education.A Level 400 student at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Gilbert Abongo, from the Bongo District in the Upper East Region, said he struggled to continue his education after completing senior high school more than a decade ago.Mr Abongo, who had long hoped to use education to change the circumstances of people in his hometown, said financial constraints forced him to combine his university studies with work at a kebab-selling business to support himself.“I was facing financial difficulties, and it wasn’t easy for me. I completed SHS ten years ago, but I never gave up. I had the opportunity to go to school. Things were not easy for me, so I spoke to a man who sells kebab at UDS to work with him, and he agreed. I was combining school with the job. When I was struggling, one of the beneficiaries of the MTN Bright Scholarship,” he said.The initiative forms part of the MTN Ghana Foundation’s broader efforts to expand access to education and develop skills in fields considered important for Ghana’s development, while easing the financial burden on students, teachers and their families.Meanwhile, Esther Quaye, a guardian whose sister benefited from the scholarship, described the award as a major relief for their family, which has been facing financial hardship.“I was very, very excited because our family is going through some hot shifts, and so it was a very huge relief that she won the award, especially with all the things that come with their accommodation, the tuition, and then the stipends and, most importantly, the laptop that they are getting; it’s really refreshing. It has brought some kind of relief to the family. So yes, we are very much happy about it,” she said.