As a salute to their fifteenth anniversary, a Bermuda charity hopes to give significant help to financially strapped Bermudian college students.

The Ross ?Blackie? Talbot Charity Classic?s theme this year is educating the youth of Bermuda and in order to do so have launched their Education Awards for students who have completed their first two years of college, but cannot afford to finish.

In 1993 Clement Talbot, the Community and Government Liaison Manager at the Bank of Bermuda, founded the Ross ?Blackie? Talbot Charity Classic to raise money for charities in honour of his father?s birthday.

Since its beginnings the charity event has raised over $1.4m for 45 Bermudian charities and this year they hope to raise $300,000 for four charities and the Ross ?Blackie? Talbot Educational Awards (RBTEA).

Mr. Talbot said: ?I proposed the idea for the education awards to my committee and then we worked with the education Minister and most closely with the Bermuda College and CedarBridge to understand where the need was.

?Each of the charities this year are education focused and there is a tremendous need in the community for these awards so we think it will make a difference for Bermudian students.

?We have already had many calls about the criteria for the awards.?

One of the instrumental people in founding the RBTEA awards, Dr. Duranda Green, acting President of the Bermuda College, researched where the need was in the community and how the awards could address it.

Dr. Green added: ?I was approached in June 2006 by Mr. Talbot and his committee about doing an award.

?I did some research and put a proposal together for awards that focused on the students who go to the college for two years and have been accepted into colleges abroad for their last couple of years, but may not go away because they can?t afford it.?

The Charity Classic will also donate to four charities- Knowledge Quest, Ross ?Blackie? Talbot Foundation, Raleigh International Bermuda, and the Masterworks Foundation- all of which have education programs.

There is no particular amount currently assigned to the scholarships, because after the scholarships are awarded the amount will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

In order to apply for the RBTEA awards, students must be able to demonstrate financial need, have finished their first two years of a bachelor?s degree at Bermuda College or otherwise, be Bermudian and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4-point scale.

If you believe you meet the requirements and are interested in applying you can pick up the applications at Bermuda College or on their website at www.college.bm or online at the RBTCC website, www.rbtcharity.org and the deadline is April 30.