Associated Industries, Ltd. (AI Group) today announced a major expansion of its scholarship commitment to the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI), with two additional AI Group companies - Carquest and Parkers - joining existing scholarship donors ACE and AI Rentals under the Parker Tibbetts Memorial Scholarship programme. With all four AI Group companies now participating, the expanded programme will collectively commit KYD $10,000 annually to support deserving Caymanian students pursuing higher education.
The signing of new Letters of Agreement with the AI Group for the 2026–2027 academic year brings the total to four active scholarships - each valued at CI$2,500 per year and each supporting one recipient annually - representing a doubling of the AI Group’s annual investment in Caymanian education.
Honouring a National Hero
The expansion carries particular significance following the 2025 National Heroes Day celebrations, at which Captain Keith Parker Tibbetts - the Cayman Brac seafarer, shipbuilder, and statesman in whose memory the scholarship is named - was officially recognised as a National Hero of the Cayman Islands. He became the first National Hero from Cayman Brac, honoured for a remarkable life of service: a World War II veteran who served during the evacuation of Dunkirk and survived being torpedoed at sea; a master shipbuilder who constructed 11 catboats in the immediate aftermath of a devastating storm to serve his community; and a Sister Islands representative who served in the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly for 23 years, championing the rights and voices of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
Keith “Parker” Tibbetts Jr., CEO of AI Group said, “My father dedicated his life to the Cayman Islands and to the people of Cayman Brac. His legacy endures in the scholarship that bears his name and his recognition as a National Hero in 2025 affirmed what our family and community have always known. Expanding the Parker Tibbetts Memorial scholarship is our way of honouring that legacy by investing in the next generation of Caymanians. We are proud of what ACE and AI Rentals have already contributed, and we are delighted that Carquest and Parkers are now joining them.”.
Ms. Nanalie Cover, Acting President and CEO of UCCI said, “UCCI is immensely proud of the longstanding relationship we have built with the AI Group through the Parker Tibbetts Memorial Scholarship. ACE and AI Rentals have already made a real difference in the lives of our students - welcoming Carquest and Parkers into the programme is a wonderful milestone for our institution and for the Cayman Islands. Coming so soon after Captain Parker Tibbetts’s recognition as a National Hero, this expansion is a deeply meaningful tribute. His story and the AI Group’s commitment to honouring it through education embody exactly the spirit of community investment that UCCI was built to serve.”
Scholarship recipients are selected by UCCI’s Scholarship Committee and must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75. All candidates must be Caymanian, demonstrate financial need, and be enrolled in a qualifying programme including Business Administration, Accounting, Engineering, General Accounting, Auto Repairs & Maintenance, or General Business Studies. Funds are disbursed directly against each recipient’s account, with any unused portion carried forward in accordance with the agreement.
To learn more about UCCI programmes and career pathways, email: admissions@ucci.edu.ky, or call +1 (345) 623-8224.
