Aside from the GBF STEM College Scholarship, there are other private or corporate scholarships available to dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). One of them is the SM College Scholarship Program.
The program is offered by the SM Foundation, which was established in 1983 by SM Group founder Henry Sy. Notably, the foundation supports and empowers communities through education, healthcare, shelter, farmer’s training, and more. According to its official website, more than 4,800 students have graduated from their college scholarship program.
Program Benefits
The SM College Scholarship Program grants full tuition and monthly allowance to qualified students, who can choose from accounting, information technology, engineering, and education courses. It also offers part-time job opportunities to scholars during semestral and Christmas break.
As for the areas covered, the program is available to applicants in the following provinces across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao:
Eligibility
To qualify for the program, an applicant must:
- Be an incoming freshman and a Grade 12 graduate from a public or private school in the areas covered, or an Alternative Learning System (ALS) completer;
- Have completed Grade 10 in a public school, or, if from a private high school, must possess a DepEd voucher;
- Have a general weighted average of at least 92% or its equivalent for Grade 12 – first semester; and
- Have a total household income of not more than PHP 250,000 per year.
Requirements
When applying for the scholarship program, applicants need to prepare:
- Accomplished online application form;
- Parent’s or guardian’s latest Income Tax Return, Certification of Non-Filing of Income, or Certificate of Indigency;
- Parent’s or guardian’s Cedula;
- Grade 12 Report Card – first semester;
- Birth Certificate;
- 2×2 ID picture; and
- Sketch of home to the nearest SM Mall.
Application Process
Here is a step-by-step guide to applying for the program:
- Fill out the online application form and upload all the required documents.
- Log into the SM Scholarship Online System to confirm your application within seven (7) days of submission.
- Wait for an email from SM Foundation regarding the status of your application (e.g. “Declined” or “For Exam”). The exam schedule and venue will also be sent via email.
- Take the exam on the scheduled date and time. Passers will be announced on the same day.
- On the same day of the exam, passers will be interviewed individually by the SM Foundation.
- The SM Foundation team will conduct random home visits to exam passers. Those who do not qualify after the visit will be informed via email.
- Successful applicants will be informed via email. They will need to confirm their school and course.
- Successful applicants will receive an email regarding the schedule of orientation and contract signing.
Degree Programs
Below is a list of college courses covered by the program:
- Bachelor of Elementary Education
- Bachelor of Secondary Education
- BSBA in Financial Management
- BSBA in Management Accounting
- BS in Accountancy
- BS in Accounting Information Systems
- BS in Accounting Technology
- BS in Architecture (available in NU campuses only)
- BS in Civil Engineering
- BS in Computer Engineering
- BS in Computer Science
- BS in Digital Marketing
- BS in Electrical Engineering
- BS in Electronics and Communications Engineering
- BS in Electronics Engineering
- BS in Information Technology
- BS in Internal Auditing
- BS in Mechanical Engineering
Partner Schools – NCR
Meanwhile, here is a list of the program’s partner schools in the National Capital Region (NCR):
- Asia Pacific College
- City College of Malabon
- City of Malabon University
- Colegio de Muntinlupa
- Far Eastern University
- FEU – Tech
- Jose Rizal University
- National University (NU) Manila, Fairview, MOA, East Ortigas
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela
- Philippine Normal University
- Philippine School of Business Administration (Manila)
- Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Sta. Mesa, San Juan, Quezon City, Taguig
- Quezon City University
- Rizal Technological University
- University of Caloocan
- University of the East – Caloocan
- University of the Philippines – Diliman
For the full list of the program’s partner schools across the Philippines, visit this link.
For more details about the program, please visit the SM Foundation official website.
The SM Group, one of the country’s biggest conglomerates, helps and empowers communities through the SM Foundation. It has benefited many Filipinos through education, healthcare, shelter, and other programs.
Meanwhile, another scholarship program that dependents of OFWs can apply for is the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Merit Scholarship Program. Check out this article for more information about it.