THE Cagayan de Oro City Government has expanded its scholarship program as it will accept this year applicants from low-income families whose average grade is 75 percent.
City Administrator Teddy Sabuga-a said aside from the "performance-based" criteria, they have added the income of the applicant's family as one of the requirements in accepting city scholars.
The city is now inviting senior high school graduates of public or private schools in Cagayan de Oro, must be a resident in the city and must have 85 percent above average grade.
“But if they belong to the low-income families, the city will accept them if they have 75 percent above average grade,” said Sabuga-a on the City Government's poverty alleviation program.
The expanded scholarship program will not only be based on the student's performance in school, even if they did not excel that much in their senior high school, but have the willingness to study.
"We are motivating the poor families that they should admit their kids to college because the city is offering them full scholarship. A technical working group is now deciding on how many slots it will open for the potential city scholars.”
Sabuga-a said he is positive that more students will be accepted this year as the city scholarship budget was untouched for the last two years because of the government's K to 12 program.
"We will maximize the budget and take applicants as many as we can," he said.
A scholars assembly will be conducted on April 10 at the Xavier University’s covered courts.
All applicants are required to submit scholarship application form, photocopy of the senior high school grades, ID pictures, barangay certificate of residence, photocopy of income tax return as proof of income or Certificate of Indigency. An Indigenous People (IP) certificate of affiliation will also be required if the applicant belongs to an IP group, and a medical or health certificate.