“POOR but deserving” students in the province who wish to pursue tertiary education may soon avail themselves of the Provincial Government’s updated scholarship program.
The Provincial School Board (PSB) had approved a new set of guidelines in granting scholarships for college students in a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
The new guidelines will still have to undergo deliberation before the Provincial Board (PB).
PB Member Christopher Baricuatro (7th district), who heads the committee on higher and technical education, will file a draft ordinance.
The proposed legislation will be called “Cebu Province Grants Intended for Tertiary Students (CP-Gifts).” The Province will provide an annual budget of P15 million for the program.
The ordinance will consolidate all existing scholarship programs of the Province and come up with a unified rule.
During Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s earlier stint, the Cebu Tertiary Education Assistance Program (CTEAP) was created to provide educational assistance to poor but deserving college students.
Garcia’s CTEAP program is different from the Paglaum scholarship of former governor Hilario Davide III, as it granted assistance to all low-income students in the province, whether or not they have an exemplary performance in high school.
“Let us not redefine the word scholar, which refers to the academe and scholastic performance as well. If you will just be immediately recognized as a scholar just because you are a son of a friend, then that defeats the idea of a scholarship, especially since we are spending government funds,” said Garcia, who sits as PSB co-chairperson.
It is not clear what will happen to the existing Paglaum scholars under the proposed CP-Gifts program.
In an earlier interview, the governor said she will study the Paglaum program.
Under CP-Gifts qualified scholars will receive a monthly assistance of P2,000 as living allowance that will cover their meals, transportation or accommodation expenses, among others.
To qualify, incoming first year college students must have a general average of at least 85 percent; a resident of the province for at least one year prior to the application; with good moral certification; coming from a family with parents’ combined annual income of not more than P200,000; and must not have any other scholarship subsidy from any institution or individual.
The program will also prioritize degree programs on agriculture, fisheries, accountancy, real estate management, engineering, robotics, information technology and other computer-related courses. Public high school graduates will also be prioritized.(RTF)