Two cities dangle aid to students

PUBLIC school graduates in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue can expect some help from their City Government this month.

The Cebu City Government has started accepting the application of senior high school graduates who want to avail themselves of the City’s college scholarship program.

Cebu City Councilor Joy Young said that for school year 2019-2020, they are expecting around 5,000 new scholars.

“But we can’t really predict how many scholars there will be this coming school year. The number changes because of the senior high school. It might be higher,” he said.

Young, the deputy mayor for education, said there will be no limit on the number of students who will be admitted in the scholarship program as long as they will qualify and get approval before enrollment.

As of this year, there are 22 colleges and universities in the city that accept scholars of the City Government.

Young said the City used to accommodate 8,000 scholars before the senior high school started.

However, this year, the number of scholars from first to fourth year in college dropped to 4,000.

“There are those who graduated from senior high school last year who opted to work immediately after completion since they are eligible to work already. That is why we have fewer scholars who enrolled in college last year,” Young said.

Some 100 students are scheduled to take the first career path examination on Friday, April 12.

The career path exam is the first step of the application process for the scholarship program.

Young said the exam is meant to guide the students on what course to take in college.

Any senior high school graduate can avail himself or herself of the scholarship program as long as the student graduated from a public school or had been a scholar in a private school.

Each scholar is entitled to P10,000 in tuition subsidy and a P1,000 allowance for school supplies per semester.

Students from the mountain barangays will get additional P1,000 per month in transportation allowance.

Young said interested students may inquire about the program in his office in City Hall.

In Mandaue, elementary and high school graduates of public schools in Mandaue City can now avail themselves of the City Government’s financial assistance for graduation-related expenses.

This, after the City Council approved last Monday, April 8, the resolution of Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, which authorized the release of educational assistance under the Hinabang sa Edukasyon, Livelihood ug Panglawas sa Tanan or HELPS. The program has a P35-million budget this year.

It is the first time the City is giving the assistance.

Among those who can avail themselves of the assistance are the graduates of the Mandaue City College.

The City will release a maximum of P3,000 per student.

Fortuna said the amount will help students from poor families pay for graduation or moving up ceremony fees and related expenses, including the rent for graduation robes.

“All they have to do is to claim the grants for HELPS in their respective barangays. The amount will depend on how much the student needs, but the maximum is P3,000,” Fortuna said.

The vice mayor proposed the resolution after an honor student of one of the public schools in the city wrote him and Mayor Luigi Quisumbing to ask for financial help so he can rent a robe for his elementary school graduation.

To be eligible for the assistance, students only need to have a letter from their school principal or administrator indicating that they are graduating and that they need to contribute a certain amount for the closing ceremony, as agreed on by the Parents-Teachers Association.

The students must present the letter when they claim the assistance in their barangay hall. (RVC, from FMD of SuperBalita Cebu, LRC)

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