Government's newest scholars will be going to university this year a little better off than past recipients of the annual awards.

The scholars, named last Wednesday, are the first to benefit from this year's amendment to the 1958 Bermuda Government Scholarships Act which increased the scholarship to $12,500 from $10,000 per year.

"Government wanted to make sure that not only would the reputation of Bermuda Government scholars be highly regarded, but that the sum (of their scholarships) would be significant as well,'' Education Minister Jerome Dill said.

And he praised the scholarship selection committee for going through the list of 324 applicants "in record time''.

Mr. Dill said he was also pleased with the high quality of applicants who were chosen to receive the scholarship.

The 1996 Bermuda Government Scholarship recipients are: Melissa Butler who graduated from Warwick Academy in 1993 and Saltus Post Graduate Year in 1994. Miss Butler is currently studying pharmaceutical science at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Alnisha Daniels who is a 1993 graduate of Warwick Academy and is studying biology at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia; Satinah Furbert who graduated from The Berkeley Institute in 1993 and from Bermuda College in 1996. She will study psychology at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia; Mekisha Hill who graduated from Warwick Academy in 1993 and from the Bermuda College in 1996. She will study commerce at Acadia University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia; Shaina Kelly who is studying biology at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. She graduated from Warwick Academy in 1993 and from Bermuda College in 1995; Amanda Oatley who graduated from Warwick Academy in 1993 and from Saltus Past Graduate Year in 1994. She is studying music education at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut; M. Elizabeth Rance who is pursuing a bachelor's degree in bio-medical science at the University of Guelph, Ontario. She graduated from Warwick Academy in 1994 and from Appleby College in Ontario in 1995; and Lahmon Smith who will study business administration at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He graduated from Warwick Academy in 1993 and from Bermuda College in 1996.

Melissa Butler Alnisha Daniels Satinah Furbert Mekisha Hill Shaina Kelly M. Elizabeth Rance Lahmon Smith AWARD AWD