For over 20 years, the Belize Hotel Association (BHA) has lifted financial barriers for young learners from families connected to Belize’s tourism and hospitality sector, and this 2026-2027 school year, the industry-led initiative is growing to support more students than ever before. In an announcement made on August 21, BHA confirmed it will award education grants to 15 deserving students this term — a threefold increase in participation from 2022, when current BHA President Reynaldo Malik first joined the organization’s board.
When Malik first became involved with the program, only five students received support annually. Today, the expansion not only brings more students into the fold but also revises core program rules to make aid more accessible and flexible for Belizean families. Previously structured as tuition-only scholarships, the awards have been reworked into versatile, multi-purpose grants that can cover a wide range of education-related costs beyond tuition. Eligible expenses include textbooks, school uniforms, daily transportation to campus, and other essential supplies that many low-income families struggle to afford.
The program also updated its eligibility requirements to align with Belize’s common extended family structures. Where dependent eligibility was once limited to immediate children of BHA member employees, the revised criteria now includes dependents in non-traditional care arrangements, such as minor siblings raised by an older brother or sister. This change ensures no qualifying student is excluded from aid due to non-standard family arrangements that are widespread across the country.
Unlike many other association programs, the Partners in Education initiative operates entirely independent of BHA’s general operating budget. Every dollar awarded comes from voluntary donations from BHA member businesses and funds raised through the association’s annual charity auction. This year’s auction alone generated more than $23,000 for the scholarship fund, demonstrating the tourism industry’s collective commitment to investing in the next generation of Belizeans.
Notably, BHA does not restrict scholarships to students pursuing degrees or training in tourism and hospitality, despite the program being funded entirely by sector members. Leadership says the open eligibility policy recognizes that a broad range of local industries contribute to the success of Belize’s tourism ecosystem and the national economy as a whole, and all young Belizeans deserve the opportunity to advance their education regardless of their planned career path.
Malik called the Partners in Education program one of the BHA’s most significant and proud achievements, framing the expansion as part of the tourism sector’s commitment to “pay it forward” to local communities that have supported the industry’s growth. “To whom much is given, much is expected,” he noted in an interview with local outlet News 5, emphasizing that the industry has a responsibility to invest in opportunities for Belize’s youth.