Though there are many outstanding Filipino students, some are not able to pursue higher education due to financial constraints. Fortunately, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) offers a program that supports academically talented and deserving Filipino students.
The CHED Merit Scholarship Program (CMSP) is designed for incoming first-year college students with exceptional academic performance. It is open to student applicants who have a minimum General Weighted Average (GWA) of 93% or its equivalent in their Grade 12 report card.
Program Benefits
The CMSP program caters to students who are enrolled in either State/Local Universities and Colleges (SUCs/LUCs) or private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Benefits include financial assistance for tuition and school fees, a stipend, and book/connectivity allowance. Notably, the amounts vary between “full” and “half” scholarships.
SUCs/LUCs
Under the “full” State Scholarship Program (SSP), students enrolled in SUCs/LUCs are entitled to free tuition and other school fees, in accordance with R.A. 10931 or the Free Higher Education Act. In addition, they will receive a stipend amounting to PHP 70,000 per year (PHP 35,000 per semester), and a book/connectivity allowance worth PHP 10,000 per year (PHP 5,000 per semester).
Likewise, free tuition and school fees also apply to students under “half” SSP. They will get a stipend amounting to PHP 35,000 per year (PHP 17,500 per semester), and a book/connectivity allowance worth PHP 5,000 per year (PHP 2,500 per semester).
Private HEIs
In private HEIs, students who are entitled to “full” Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA) shall receive: up to PHP 40,000 for tuition and school fees, a stipend of PHP 70,000, and a book/connectivity allowance worth PHP 10,000 every year. These amounts correspond to PHP 20,000, PHP 35,000, and PHP 5,000 for every semester.
Consequently, students under “half” PESFA will get: up to PHP 20,000 for tuition and school fees, a stipend of PHP 35,000, and a book/connectivity allowance worth PHP 5,000 annually. Per semester, these amounts correspond to PHP 10,000, PHP 17,500, and PHP 2,500, respectively.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the program, an applicant must:
- Be a Filipino citizen;
- Be a Senior High School graduate with a minimum GWA of 93% or its equivalent; and
- Have parents or legal guardian whose combined annual gross income does not exceed PHP 500,000.
Requirements
Interested applicants need to prepare the following documents:
- Accomplished CMSP Application Form;
- Copy of Birth Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA);
- Certified True Copy (CTC) of Form 138 (Learner’s Progress Report or SF9), duly signed by the registrar or an authorized representative of the senior high school attended;
- Any one (1) of the following as proof of income: (a) Latest Annual Income Tax Return of parents or legal guardian; (b) Certificate of Tax Exemption/Non-Filer issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR); (c) CTC of the latest contract or proof of income for children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Seafarers; or (d) Social Case Study Report issued by the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (C/MSWD).
- Other Requirements (if applicable): PWD ID issued by C/MSWD or Certification issued by the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO); Solo Parent ID issued by the C/MSWD; Senior Citizen ID issued by the C/MSWD; Underprivileged and Homeless Citizens certification issued by C/MSWD or DHSUD; Social Case Study Report issued by C/MSWD covered under Magna Carta of the Poor and/or First-Generation Students; or Indigenous Peoples Certification issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP); and
- Notarized Certificate of Guardianship issued by the legal guardian of the student-applicant (if applicable).
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How to Sign Up
Follow these steps to sign up for the program:
- Gather and prepare all the necessary documents.
- Scan the documents clearly.
- Send the application and documents online to your respective CHED Regional Office. Visit this link to see the Regional Offices Directory.
For more details about the CMSP program, interested applicants are urged to visit the CHED official website.
Meanwhile, for children of OFWs, another scholarship program worth looking into is the OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP). Head to this link to learn more about it.