SM FOUNDATION is currently accepting applications for the upcoming academic year.
Interested students may apply online through the SM Foundation website (www.sm-foundation.org).
College scholars enjoy full tuition from their choice of specialization in accounting, information technology, engineering, and education in accredited schools.
Scholars also get a monthly allowance, with part-time job opportunities available during semestral and holiday breaks. Participation in fun-filled enrichment programs lets the scholars get to know each other and foster a sense of family while learning and preparing for future leadership roles. They can also be considered for positions in any SM companies upon completion of their academic education.
Qualified to apply are Grade 12 graduating students from public high schools or Grade 10 graduating students from private high schools with Department of Education vouchers. Applicants must have a general weighted average of at least 88 percent by the second or third grading period. Their total household income should not exceed P150,000 per year.
Areas covered are National Capital Region, Albay, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Isabela, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Sorsogon, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac, Zambales, Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Agusan del Norte, Davao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, South Cotabato, and Zamboanga del Sur.
Complete guidelines, requirements and other instructions are at www.sm-foundation.org. Deadline for submission of the applications is on January 31, 2019.
Danielle Francis Olsen will never forget the years 2015 and 2018. In 2015, she entered college and took up accountancy at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, and in 2018 she graduated summa cum laude.
All these were made possible with strong faith, hard work, determination, and an SM Foundation scholarship. She is one of the 333 graduates of SM Foundation’s College Scholarship Program Class of 2018.
Studying Bachelor of Science in accountancy was not easy for Olsen, daughter of a tricycle driver father and breast cancer survivor mother.
Her family’s limited income and financial constraints made going to college almost just a dream despite being academically gifted.
In a tribute program for this year’s scholar graduates held at the SMX Foundation in Pasay City in June, Olsen had the privilege of delivering a speech.
“I was given the opportunity to be able to achieve my dreams, not just mine, but the dreams of my younger siblings, too,” she said.
“To finish your studies is the happiest feeling in the world. I remember when my parents found out I made it to the list of SM Foundation scholars, their joy reached the sky,” she added.
The SM Foundation Scholarship program began in 1993 by Henry Sy, founder of the SM Group of Companies.
Addressing her speech to Sy, Olsen said, “Hundreds of thank yous are not enough to pay for the great help you’ve given us. Through your foundation, you provided a way for us to prove that someday, through hard work and success, we will be able to help our families get out of poverty.” (PR)