Lawmakers offer scholarship slots to Cebuano students

More individuals continue to pledge help for the implementation of the Cebu provincial government's scholarship program, a flagship project of Vice Governor Agnes Magpale.

According to Magpale, Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino has pledged to sponsor 30 slots for the Capitol's Paglaum Scholarship Program, while Kabayan Partylist Representative Herminio “Harry” Roque has committed to subsidize the college education of 100 students.

This brings 730 the total number of scholarship slots that are up for grabs from the original 600 slots allocated for qualified scholars for school year 2016-2017.

Paglaum aims to provide assistance to students from Cebu province who could not afford to go to college or finish their studies due to financial limitations.

The program seeks to shoulder P10,000 of the scholars' tuition and miscellaneous fees and provide an additional P1,500 subsistence allowance to handicapped, marginalized, and poor students. Among the program's beneficiaries are children of drug surrenderers and dysfunctional families.

Magpale, however, yesterday said the legislators will only subsidize the scholar's tuition fees.

Based on the requirements and criteria sent by the office of Aquino to Magpale through fax yesterday, subsidy to qualified scholars will be based on their average grade.

“The tuition fee subsidy ranges from P6,000 to P30,000, depending on the grade of the scholar. But ours only stipulate that scholar should maintain a passing grade of not less than 75 percent in all of his subjects,” she said.

Magpale said the financial assistance from Aquino and Roque will be directly coursed through to the Commission on Higher Education.

Magpale said they will implement the program in three categories. Category 1 covers students who qualify under the Paglaum's criteria; Category 2 includes those who will enroll at any campuses of the Cebu Technological University; and Category 3 covers those who will meet the lawmakers' criteria.

Magpale said they decided to come up with Category 2 after the CHED earlier announced granting P 600 million in freetuition grants to five state universities and colleges in Central Visayas.

Under the 2017 national budget, CTU was among the recipients of the P8 billion grant that will be used once tuition on governmentfunded schools will be removed.

Of the total allocation of P7.789 billion, CTU received the highest budget ceiling amounting to P379.192 million.

Magpale also said they will prioritize accepting scholars under Category 3.

She said there are 1,377 students who have initially passed the preliminary screening, which includes their summary case from social workers.

These students will still undergo interview and final screening to be administered by Magpale, among others.

The screening will run until Thursday.

At present, Magpale said at least 300 students have already been given slots.