At the ceremony on 6 December, the partners of the TalTech Development Fund awarded scholarships to active and brilliant students, which amounted to 288,000 euros this time. The majority of the scholarships were awarded to engineering students.
‘This is an opportunity for students to enrich their lives – financially as well as through experiences and contacts,’ said Elinor Toming, Head of the TalTech Development Fund.
670 applications were submitted to the competition and the final decision was made by the sponsors of the scholarships on the basis of motivation letters and essays, where students could outline what they want to achieve in their future careers.
Compared to last autumn, the volume and amounts of the grants have increased significantly. Toming is
extremely grateful to the companies and individuals who support students through the Development Fund of the university even during the current, economically difficult years. ‘Every contribution counts to keep the engine of the Estonian economy running and to fuel the creation of new solutions as well as innovation,’ Toming said. ‘I am very pleased that more and more alumni are finding their way back to the university through collaboration – mentoring, scholarships, and guest lectures.’
Currently, almost 100 companies and individuals donate towards the scholarships each calendar year. However, there are still areas where the number of scholarships is too low – for example, in the natural sciences and the curricula of the Maritime Academy. ‘Thanks to you, dear companies, many young people will be able to concentrate on their studies to achieve the best results so they are able to shape a better tomorrow for all of us. Together, we can create a future full of bright young people with a vision to meet the important challenges ahead,’ underlined Brenda Pent, a third-year engineering student who spoke at the ceremony.
The scholarship competition takes place twice a year – in spring and autumn. Companies wishing to reach out to committed and enthusiastic students can contact the Development Fund now to award their own scholarship in the spring competition or to set up a scholarship fund named after them. ‘I encourage everyone to think along and take steps to ensure that enough basic school pupils would reach upper secondary schools, and from there, universities to study engineering, technology, IT, and science,’ Toming added. A new call for applications will be announced at the end of February.