ZAMBOANGA CITY – “By April, the students shall have known if they are awarded the
scholarship or not; and by May, we can start paying our scholars to avoid any
delays in their enrollment,” Commission on Higher Education-9 (CHED) Regional
Director Emmylou B. Yanga said, adding that her office will be attending to all
scholarship applications starting Feb. 1 to March 31, 2013.
This
adjustment is in accordance with CHED Memorandum Order no. 56, series of 2012
which revises the Implementing Guidelines for the Student Financial Assistance
Programs (StuFAPs).
“We
want to inform our public about CMO no. 56 so that they will be aware of the
revisions in the application for financial assistance since we have moved the
application period earlier”, Dir. Yanga said.
CMO no.
56 aims to rationalize the administration and implementation of CHED StuFAPs by
selecting the poor and deserving scholars or grantees; ensure that
scholars/grantees are enrolled in duly authorized higher education institutions
and in identified priority programs; and to ascertain that the StuFAPs are
properly administered and implemented.
“Unlike
before, we are now requiring our student applicants to submit weighted average
grade from their third year and their fourth year grades from first to third
grading periods. We will get 50% from their third year grade and another 50%
from their fourth year grades,” Yanga explained.
The
grades, according to Yanga, will determine which scholarship program the
applicants can avail.
CHED’s
scholarship has two categories: the Full Merit and the Half Merit.
Director
Yanga said students with weighted average of at least 90% in their 3rd
year, and 90% in the first three grading periods of their 4th year
can qualify for Full Merit Scholarship, while students with at least 85% on
both 3rd year and the first three grading periods in fourth year can
qualify for the half merit scholarship.
Other
qualification requirements are: Student applicants should also be Filipino
citizens and of good moral character; must not be more than 30 years old at the
time of application; must be high school graduates or candidates for
graduation; parents’ or guardians’ combined annual income must not exceed
P300,000.00. Those who are exempted from income tax should present a
certificate of Tax Exemption from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR); and for
OFWs and sea farers, a latest copy of contract or proof of income is required.
Finally, applicants must not be recipients of any government scholarship and
financial assistance.
Aside
from the scholarship program, CHED is also offering Grants-in-Aid and the Study
Now Pay Later Program.
The grants
include the Tulong-Dunong (TD) which requires 3rd year grade of 80%
and 80% of the first three grading periods in 4th year. This grant
can be availed of by students who are differently-able (persons with
disabilities), solo parents or dependent of solo parents, members of cultural
minorities, members of hill tribe and senior citizens, if qualified.
Other
grants are the Department of National Defense (DND)-CHED-PASUC study grant
intended for qualified dependents of military personnel; the Office of the
Presidential Assistant for Peace Process (OPAPP)-CHED study grant for amnestied
former rebels and individual member of existing groups where the government has
existing peace agreements; CHED Special Study Grant Program for Congressional
Districts, and the CHED Senate Study Grant Program (CSSGP).
The
student applicants for the scholarship programs (Full and Half Merit), SNPL,
Grants-in-Aid and Tulong-Dunong shall submit to CHED Regional Office the accomplished CHED StuFAPs application form with the above
mentioned requirements while for CSSGP, DND, OPAPP shall apply directly to the
office/agency concerned.
CHED
has also identified priority courses under their student financial assistance
programs namely Information Technology which include Information Technology and
computer science, multimedia, animation, programming, and information system
management; Agriculture and related fields like agro-forestry, veterinary
medicine, agricultural engineering, agribusiness/management, agricultural
entrepreneurship, agricultural technology, and fisheries; Teacher Education
major in Math, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Reading, English, Educational
Media/Technology, and Special Education (SPED); Science and Mathematics
specifically B.S. Math, B.S. Physics, and B.S. Science.
Engineering
courses on mechanical, electronics, communication, metallurgical/mining,
computer, biomedical, chemical, geodetic, electrical, meteorological, mining
and geological fields; Health Sciences to include Pharmacy, Radio Technology,
and Medical Technology; Arts and Humanities; Atmospheric Sciences and
Environmental Science.
Full
Merit Scholars are entitled P15,000 per semester for the whole duration of the
course, while half merit scholars will receive P7,500.00 per semester provided
they maintain the general weighted average required.
Grantees,
on the other hand, are entitled P2,500 to P6,000 per semester depending on the
program applied, while the Study Now pay Later Plan will entitle a student P7,500
per semester. Grantees, however, should maintain passing grades or else the
assistance will be terminated.