100 STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIP FROM MANDAUE CITY GOVERNMENT

AT LEAST 100 students have already availed themselves of the college scholarship grant from the Mandaue City Government to poor but deserving students.

This after City Ordinance 162022-1732 authored by City Councilor Malcolm Sanchez that created the scholarship program was approved by the City Council on August 8, 2022.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes also announced on his Facebook page on Friday, August 26, the approval of the ordinance that offers college scholarship assistance to the students from families who are not financially well-off.

With the ordinance’s passage, the city government is expected to allocate at least P1.5 million a year for the city’s scholarship program.

Sanchez said in an interview Tuesday, August 30, that the scholarship to be given to their beneficiaries will be done through reimbursement.

Parents of the students qualified for the scholarship will receive a reimbursement of at least P17,500 for the school fees spent for the first semester. The same amount will be given as reimbursement in the second semester for a total of P35,000, Sanchez added.

However, the scholarship does not cover students who will be attending Mandaue City College, considering the school does not collect tuition.

Advisory board

In a letter sent by Sanchez on August 22 to Cortes, he said that with the ordinance’s approval, the college scholarship grant and advisory board will now be accepting scholarship applicants.

The advisory board’s tasks include formulate the guidelines for the screening of prospective applicants and monitor the grantees’ performances.

The chairman of the board is Cortes, while Sanchez is the vice chairman.

The chairman of the City Council’s committee on appropriation budget and finance, the head of the Mandaue City Schools Division, the city administrator, legal officer, and budget officer are the members of the advisory board.

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be residents of the city for at least three years.

They must have completed secondary education in both public and private schools at least three years before application and have an average grade of not less than 85 percent but not below 80 percent from the first to third grading period.

Requirements

Applicants must submit their requirements to the Office of the Mayor at the Mandaue City Hall.

Among the requirements needed are a duly accomplished information data sheet with a recent 2x2 photo, an original copy of the report card, and parents’ income tax return of not more than P250,000 filed a year prior to the scholarship application.

The applicants, after submitting the requirements, will undergo an interview. They will be evaluated based on their socio-economic status, physical and mental wellness, and grades.

Successful applicants can pursue any course not exceeding five years.

They will also be encouraged to participate in programs and activities sponsored by the city government, provided that it shall not interfere with their studies.

However, the scholarship will be withdrawn if the grantee fails to maintain a 2.0 average grade at the end of first semester.

They are also not allowed to drop subjects and change courses.

The grantee who will be found violating the rules and regulations of the school they are enrolled in will be revoked from the scholarship.