Nova Pioneer Foundation SOUTH AFRICA Academic Scholarship Programme

Summary and Terms & Conditions

Overview:

Nova Pioneer Schools for innovators and leaders strives to make quality, independent education as accessible as possible. The Nova Pioneer Foundation (the Foundation) has a finite pool of funds from various sources to assist students with financial needs or with exceptional academic ability to benefit from a Nova Pioneer, Cambridge-based education. As part of our commitment to making education as accessible to as many families as possible, we are excited to announce an extension of our Academic Scholarship programme – offering even more scholarship opportunities to deserving students. By offering scholarships that cover on average 40% of annual tuition, we aim to support eligible students from Grade 6 to A-levels from the 2024 and 2025 academic year at our various campuses in Johannesburg.

Eligibility Criteria & Supporting Data:

To qualify for a scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Spaces for the Academic Scholarship Programme are limited and as such are not automatically guaranteed.
2. Completion of the full admissions process (including securing an academic scholarship, as well as the other admissions steps – detailed below) should be fully completed by 1 October 2024. (The Nova Pioneer Foundation will review whether there are any available spaces and may choose to extend the programme after this date.)
3. Be applying for a place in Grades 6 or a Grade above that from the 2025 academic year.
4. An allocated space for an academic scholarship needs to be available for the specific grade/campus being applied to (i.e. not every grade automatically has allocated spaces for academic scholarships).
5. The applicant will be required to:
   1. provide a copy of their school report from their last full school year which needs to meet or exceed specific the minimum results achievement,
   2. complete an academic assessment – at the school, under examination conditions, which will need to meet or exceed the minimum results requirement, 
   3. write an essay  at the school, under examination conditions that will be graded against a predetermined rubric, 
   4. (and if criteria are met to the required standard for (i), (ii) and (iii) above, then the applicant will be required to complete an interview with the school’s Admissions Committee and will be rated using a predetermined rubric).
6. The applicant will be required to provide their unabridged birth certificate and (as mentioned in point (i) above, their latest school report from their previously completed academic year, as well as their most recent school report, prior  to the academic assessment.
7. The applicant is required to complete the additional steps in the admissions process including provision of required data and documentation, as well as the payment of the non-refundable enrolment fee.
8. Only new enrolling families are eligible; currently enrolled Nova Pioneer families and staff of Nova Pioneer do not qualify.

Applicant data will be handled in compliance with applicable data protection laws and regulations. The Nova Pioneer Foundation is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of personal information provided by applicants and ensuring its use solely for the purpose of assessing the scholarship application.

The Nova Pioneer Foundation retains the right to verify the accuracy and authenticity of information provided by applicants and their families. This verification process may include requesting additional documentation. Applicants are obligated to fully cooperate with The Nova Pioneer Foundation during this verification process.

The final decision will be at the sole discretion of the Nova Foundation and the Nova Foundation reserves the right to not enter into discussion/negotiations in this regard. The decision of the Nova Pioneer Foundation will be final.

Scholarship Coverage:

The scholarship programme covers on average 40% of the annual tuition fees for successful candidates.

• Scholarship percentage offer will be determined based on the academic performance demonstrated by the applicant during the admissions process (past reports, academic assessment, essay writing and interview), the Foundation’s available funds and availability of enrolment space for scholarship students at Nova Pioneer Schools.
• The scholarship will be applicable for the entire period that the student remains enrolled, if they maintain a suitably high academic performance and they (and their parents) remain in good standing at Nova Pioneer Schools (complies with the terms and conditions of the enrolment contract and all other policies, plus the Student & Parent Code of Conduct. 
• The family remains liable for the remaining percentage of fees that is not covered by the Foundation’s scholarship and should always pay their fees in accordance with the Nova Pioneer School fees policy. The Foundation will terminate (or maintain the right to terminate) any scholarship for students whose Parent/Legal Guardian have not paid in full their portion of school fees at any point during each academic year.
• The scholarship is applicable to tuition fees only and does not cover other expenses such as (but not limited to) non-refundable enrolment fee, Cambridge examination costs, uniforms, textbooks, transportation, aftercare or extracurricular activities.
• The scholarship will still remain applicable (with the same percentage applied to that school’s fees) should the student transition from one Nova Pioneer School campus to another.
• The scholarship is however NOT transferable to other students, nor other schools, should the recipient student transition out of Nova Pioneer Schools.
• The scholarship programme does NOT extend to Nova Pioneer staff members.
• No other discounts whatsoever will be applied to fees in addition to this bursary. For example (but not limited to), sibling discounts, referral discounts and ad hoc promotional discounts will not apply.

Application Process:

Applicants must complete the online application form and indicate their interest in an academic scholarship. Applicants will be invited to an Open Day where they will perform an academic assessment and write an essay. If they meet the required standards for these two steps, the Student will need to attend an interview with the Admissions Committee. 

Selection Process:

An Admissions committee consisting of Nova Pioneer academic and admissions staff will evaluate the scholarship applications based on performance of the academic assessments (assessment, essay writing and interview) and ability to afford the remaining portion of fees not covered by the scholarship.

• Final scholarship recipients will be selected at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.
• The decision of the Admissions Committee will be final and no appeals will be accommodated.

Notification and Acceptance:

Selected scholarship recipients will be notified via the email addresses provided during application

• Scholarship recipients must acknowledge and accept the scholarship offer within the specified timeframe provided in order to secure the scholarship.
• Failure to accept the offer within the specified timeframe will result in forfeiture of the scholarship.

Documentation and Disbursement:

Scholarship recipients may be required to provide additional documentation, such as proof of enrolment, for verification purposes.

• Upon verification of the provided documentation, the scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to Nova Pioneer Schools to be credited towards the recipient’s tuition fees.

Reporting and Evaluation:

• Nova Pioneer Foundation will maintain records relating to the Academic  Scholarship Programme, including the number of applicants, recipients, and funds disbursed.
• The Nova Pioneer Foundation may retain and audit records related to the Academic Scholarship Programme, including application materials, financial documents, and communication records, for the purpose of verification, evaluation, and compliance.
• The effectiveness of the Academic Scholarship Programme will be evaluated periodically, and adjustments may be made to the programme as needed by the Foundation and Academic team.

Programme Renewal:

The scholarship will be automatically renewed for subsequent years at the percentage rate offered and agreed upon provided all conditions are met, as stated above.

Nova Pioneer School fees may increase or decrease from year to year and hence the Rand amount payable by both the Foundation and the family will therefore increase/decrease by the same percentage.

Indemnification:

Applicants and recipients of the Academic Scholarship Programme agree to indemnify the Nova Pioneer Foundation against any claims, liabilities, or damages arising from the administration of the programme, unless proven negligence or misconduct on the part of the Nova Pioneer Foundation.

Programme Termination:

The scholarship may be terminated on the following grounds:

• Any form of fraudulent activities or misrepresentation by applicants (students or their families) throughout the application or enrolment process shall result in immediate termination of the scholarship. The Nova Pioneer Foundation reserves the right to pursue legal remedies to recover any misused funds.
• The scholarship recipient fails to meet the academic, behavioural, or other requirements set forth by Nova Pioneer Schools.
• The recipient’s family fails to make payment for the agreed upon remaining percentage of fees that is not covered by the Foundation’s scholarship.
• The recipient’s family’s enrolment contract is terminated with Nova Pioneer Schools for any reasons that are deemed as breach of the terms and conditions outlined in the School’s enrolment contract.
• The recipient’s family failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the Academic Scholarship Programme, including the submission of required documentation or provision of accurate information, may lead to the termination of the scholarship. The Nova Pioneer Foundation may exercise its right to take legal action to recover any misused funds.

Programme Adjustments and Modification:

The Nova Pioneer Foundation reserves the right to make discretionary adjustments to the Academic Scholarship Programme as deemed necessary, including eligibility criteria, scholarship coverage, application process, full termination of this programme or any other aspect of the programme. These adjustments may be based on factors such as the availability of funds, changes in financial circumstances, or external factors affecting the sustainability of the programme. Such adjustments will be implemented in a fair and transparent manner and notice of such modifications will be communicated to scholarship recipients and posted on The Nova Pioneer Foundation’s official communication channels. Reasonable notice will be given to scholarship recipients for any adjustments or termination of the programme.

Cooperation with Audits and Reviews:

Scholarship recipients and their families agree to fully cooperate with any audits, reviews, or investigations conducted by Nova Pioneer or the Nova Pioneer Foundation. This includes providing requested documentation, attending meetings or interviews as required, and responding to inquiries in a timely and honest manner.

Acknowledgement:

By participating in the Nova Pioneer Foundation Academic Scholarship Programme, applicants and recipients acknowledge and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. They understand and accept the provisions outlined herein, including any additional provisions introduced by Nova Pioneer.

[Published on 15 April 2024 (Version 2)]

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