CHED hikes number of poor scholars

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has increased the scholarship slots under its Expanded Students’ Grant-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) from 4,041 in school year 2012-2013 to 40,453 this year.

The CHED said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allotted some P2.5 billion for the implementation of the ESGP-PA this school year.

It said the DBM would release the funds directly to the 35 participating state universities and colleges (SUCs) nationwide.

A student grantee would receive a maximum of P60,000 a year.

The fund covers the student’s tuition and other school fees, academic and extracurricular expenses, purchase of textbooks, board and lodging, transportation and clothing, among others.

The SGP-PA is a joint program of the CHED, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment, and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges.

It aims to contribute in effectively addressing poverty by increasing the number of graduates in higher education among poor households.

Beneficiaries of this program are poor but deserving students from the family-beneficiaries of the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program.

Qualified students are urged to take up priority program courses in participating SUCs.

The CHED’s priority courses for SGP-PA scholars for the next five years are information technology; agriculture and related fields; teacher education; science and math; engineering; health sciences; arts and humanities; social and behavioral sciences; business administration and related courses; architecture; maritime, and communication.