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Under communism, those who professed Jesus as Lord of their lives were denied higher education. To enter a university one had to be a card carrying Communist, which a Christian could not be.
Consequently, believers had to be content with low paid jobs and to this day many are poor. Furthermore, because of this policy of exclusion, Ukrainian society has not, until recent years, had the benefit of Christian leadership in the professions, academia, business and political life.
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Students being sponsored through university 2002 |
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Today's Christian young people face a further disadvantage as an obstacle to college/university entrance. If they are the sons and daughters of believers, who themselves were deprived of good jobs, there is no money to pay the tuition fees. Even if they do qualify for a free place, all too often these are reserved for those willing to pay a bribe to unscrupulous registrars and tutors.
Now you are able to help these young people to get the education they need by supporting the Hope Now Scholarship Fund.
Hope Now receives applications for enrolment from Ukrainian churches of any denomination, which are prioritised. Potential students are interviewed in the spring. They must agree with the basic conditions for receiving a grant:
1.To attend church regularly and be open to discipleship training via Hope Now or other recognised body such as Navigators, IFES or Campus Crusade.
2.Give two weeks of holiday time back to Hope Now to work with camps, orphans feeding programmes or as interpreters and/or summer missionaries. This teaches the students to share the benefits of their education with others.
3.Attend the Hope Now Annual Student Conference at which principles of Christian leadership and family life will be taught by founder Vic Jackopson and other Christian leaders.
4.Maintain a Christian witness on campus and in every area of life.
Once accepted Hope Now seeks to find a matching sponsor who will maintain financial support to a maximum of £660 ($1,000) per annum. (Many are much less than this). The cost of sponsorship depends on course, university and location. That sponsor decides whether they remain anonymous or wish to have correspondence via Hope Now or directly with their student.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances will the maximum grant be increased, but this will be done from the student General Sponsorship Fund.
Donors, who prefer not to have "their own student", may give to the General Sponsorship Fund. This allows Hope Now freedom to make specific one off grants to students for books, special equipment or courses as well as cover the costs for discipleship materials, the annual student conference and summer mission programmes. Of such importance is this programme for the future development of Christian leadership in the professions, industry, commerce and political life that Hope Now's founder has taken personal overall charge of the programme. This could well be the most important contribution Hope Now has ever made or can make to Ukraine. It will, of course, maintain its commitment, undiminished, to Health, Orphans, Prisons and Evangelism/Church planting, but the Hope Now Scholarship fund is a priority in which you may have a share.
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