Scholarship platform WOOP to aid financially challenged students

MANILA, Philippines — An education technology (edtech) platform has been established by an all-Filipino tech startup to facilitate the search for available scholarships for financially challenged students wanting to get top quality education.

The Windows of Opportunity or WOOP platform is said to be a unique portal that makes applying for and looking for a scholarship more accessible and uncomplicated for students. It centers on breaking down walls and providing channels, specifically to financially challenged but driven and hardworking Filipino students.

Through WOOP, aspiring scholars will be able to view several scholarship and grant programs from various private business entities, local government units, organizations and schools all in one platform for easier access and tracking.

“Building capital is one thing, but having the right investor also builds credibility and connections, providing valuable advice and guidance to our company. With the proper support, our mission of helping scholars in need can become closer to reality through the creation of a matchmaking platform,” WOOP founders Honesty and Kevin Tagioban said in a joint statement.

WOOP has attracted angel equity from Pantheon Holdings, together with Brian Poe-Llamanzares.

“This platform will hopefully help bridge the gap between those who wish to help and those in need by providing a secure platform for securing scholarships from the private sector,” Llamanzares said.

“I believe that EdTech is key for solving a lot of our country’s education issues. We need to encourage more innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors to help in nation-building through education,” he added.

Low family income is one of the reasons why students in the Philippines are unable to attend school, especially when there is a global crisis. With this in mind, WOOP was founded to help out-of-school-youth and disadvantaged students in need of financial support to complete their studies.

The WOOP scholarship provides students with free access to education rather than loans that must be returned with interest. Given the socioeconomic constraints of many Filipino households, many more qualified students would benefit from receiving a scholarship.