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It is about that time of the year—not the Christmas season—when college application season is starting and creeping around every senior’s corner. So, as a way to properly prepare for what more of the storm will bring in the next couple of months, here is a not-so-comprehensive guide on how you can score a university scholarship from the Big 4 universities in the Philippines.
Starting with arguably the most sought-after university for undergraduates, the University of the Philippines Diliman. If you are a varsity student looking forward to becoming a varsity student-athlete, then UPD has the UPD Varsity Sports Program. The requirements and details for this are found here. However, did you know that there is a law that results in UPD having free tuition? The “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” or Republic Act No. 10931 was passed on Aug. 3, 2017, and it stipulates that all State and Local Universities and Colleges and Technical-Vocational Institutions offer free tuition and exemptions to other school fees to all its students. With UPD being the National University and a State University, all of its students will not be required to pay for their tuition during their stay. Check out the full law here .
Next up, we have the University of Santo Tomas. UST has the Santo Tomas Scholarship and features four kinds of scholarships—namely the Santo Tomas Academic Scholarship, the San Lorenzo Ruiz Student Assistance Scholarship, the Santo Domingo De Guzman Scholarship for the Gifted, and the San Martin De Porres Equity Scholarship. As of May 21, 2020, though, UST has announced that only the Santo Tomas Academic Scholarship and San Martin de Porres Equity Scholarship will be offered for A.Y. 2020–2021 and no further updates have been given for A.Y. 2022–2023. For the full details on the requirements needed for these scholarships, this link provides them: .
Moving on to De La Salle University. DLSU offers quite a number of scholarships and student assistance to those undergraduate students who want to apply for them. The first scholarship is for students who intend to pursue a master's degree, a career in medicine, or enroll in the College of Law on a full scholarship after completing their undergraduate degree. This scholarship is known as the Star Scholars Program, and it provides high-achieving students from throughout the country with an integrated undergraduate and graduate grant. For more information, refer to this link. The second and final scholarship that I will include is for those looking to enter an undergraduate engineering degree program. The Gokongwei Grants scholarship is awarded to students who aspire to pursue priority subjects of study in any undergraduate engineering degree program provided by the college. Full tuition and expenses are waived as part of the scholarship, as are a monthly stipend and a book allowance. Refer to this link for further details.
Last, but definitely not least, is the Ateneo De Manila University. ADMU likewise also offers a ton of scholarship programs. The first one I will be mentioning is the Ateneo Freshman Merit Scholarship. The AFMS will be awarded based on the students' specific academic achievements and leadership responsibilities in their respective senior high schools. The top 50 applicants from local private and public schools, as well as senior high schools abroad, are chosen for the AFMS. This award allows undergraduates to pursue any four or five-year degree program of their choice. They receive a complete tuition and fees stipend as well as a P50,000 annual allowance. For more information, refer to this link. Similar to the AFMS, the San Ignacio De Loyola Merit Scholarship chooses from the top 10 of the best applicants from public and science high schools in the Philippines to ADMU. The award will be based on their individual academic performance and leadership activities in their respective senior high schools. These award recipients may also choose any four or five-year degree program of their choice. They receive a complete tuition and fees stipend as well as a P50,000 annual allowance. Refer to this link for further details.
And that’s it! It might be a bit of a read, sure, but I have laid out some of the scholarships that you may apply for next year when you’re off to college! Remember that it is totally okay to be feeling anxious or pressured during college application season especially with the newness of this learning environment and uncertainty of our future so also remember to take breaks, cut yourself some slack, and take care of yourself. I hope that you have found this guide to be helpful, and I wish you the best of luck and wisdom in the months to come.
WRITERS' PROFILE
SIEGFRED ANGELO E. CASTAÑER
Features Staffer
Grade 12 STEM
Other Organizations: Grade 12 Student Council
CHEYENNE ALEXIA D. BUSTAMANTE
Graphic Arts Staffer
Grade 11 STEM
Other Organizations: Honor's Society, Musikero Agustino
JEREMY JOHN R. JAMALDIN
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Grade 12 STEM
Other Organizations: Science Questors
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