CHED bares scholarship program

CEBU, Philippines – One outstanding public high school graduate from each municipality in the entire country will be assured of a college education through the government’s “One Town, One Scholar” scholarship program.

The scholarship program involves the awarding of four to five-year scholarships to the 1,500 incoming freshmen “town scholars” chosen by their respective municipalities. These scholars will be enrolled in a state university or college.

“This is to provide (the students) access to quality education, which is one of the basic functions of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED),” said CHED-7 public information officer Efren Sucaldito.

With an allocation of P46,350,000 from CHED for school year 2009-2010, the “One Town, One Scholar” will cover each town scholar’s tuition, school and miscellaneous fees, and will also include transportation and related allowances, assuming that these do not exceed P15,000 per semester.

Through this program, the government aims to give opportunity to deserving students, whose families could not afford to send them to college, to continue their schooling. Students who could avail of the program are those who have families that have combined gross annual income of P300,000 or below.

The town scholars are required to maintain high grades in order to be retained in the program and, after graduating, are required to render service within the country equal to the number of years they were granted the scholarship. They are encouraged to prioritize rendering service within their respective municipalities.

Aside from scholarship programs, CHED also offers to students other alternatives to obtain a college degree. Loan programs such as the “Study Now, Pay Later” program also offer assistance to students who are financially incapable of getting a college education. The program offers to students a loan of P7,500 each semester, payable when the student graduates and eventually lands a job.

Meanwhile, the CHED had also started implementing new degree programs to respond to present needs of the time.

These are programs on the Bachelor of Science in Accounting Technology and Bachelor of Science in Travel Management.

The BS Accounting Technology program was created mainly for students who failed to pass the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) board examination, yet still wish to land a job in the same field.

Sucaldito said the BS Accounting Technology program is also available for interested students whose entrance exam results show that their abilities may not be enough for them to take up BS Accountancy.

“The students are given the prerogative to proceed to the program immediately depending on the assessments of their capabilities,” he said.

Travel Management is another program developed and enhanced by CHED to address the increasing flux of travelers, both domestic and international. It was once incorporated in the tourism program but gained special attention due to the booming tourism of Central Visayas.

Some schools have already offered the program last June, says Sucaldito. “We are merely enhancing the program this year,” he added.

Like all other programs, both accounting technology and travel management are subject to entrance examinations. — Mark Z. Gantuangco,Quennie Rose P. Olaño- and Karen Grace H. Yasi/WAB  (THE FREEMAN)