BHA’s Scholarship Programme Expanded to 15 Students this Year

Fifteen Belizean students are getting a little more help with the cost of education this school year. The Belize Hotel Association unveiled its expanded 2026 to 2027 intake for its “Partners in Education” initiative this morning. It is a direct financial lifeline funded entirely by the industry’s own members. 

The programme that has supported families of hospitality and tourism-related workers for more than two decades. BHA President Reynaldo Malik said the programme has more than tripled in reach since he joined the board in 2022. 

“At my first involvement with it, we had five scholars enrolled in the programme, and today we’re about to award 15 scholars,” he told News 5. 

Malik said the awards have been restructured from tuition-specific scholarships into versatile grants. “The funds can be used for a range of things that are in or related to the actual attendance at school,” Malik said, citing books, uniforms and transportation as covered costs. 

The grants are available to children and dependents of employees of BHA hotel and allied members, with the eligibility criteria also expanded to recognise Belize’s extended family structures.

“An older brother might be taking care of a younger sibling. So we’ve extended it to include that definition,” he added. 

The fund runs separately from the BHA’s general account, financed entirely through member donations and an annual auction that raised over $23,000 this year alone. Malik called the programme one of the association’s proudest achievements. 

“This is the ability of the tourism industry to pay it forward. To whom much is given, much is expected.”

The BHA is keeping the programme open to students pursuing fields outside tourism to recognise that a wide range of industries contribute to the country’s tourism sector and wider economy.