By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
Recognizing the financial challenges of sending a child to college, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) announced that it has started accepting college scholarship applications for Academic Year (AY) 2019-2020.
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GSIS President and General Manager Jesus Clint Aranas, in a statement, announced that the state pension fund is now accepting applications for the enhanced GSIS Scholarship Program (GSP) for AY 2019-2020 until June 24, 2019.
“We understand the financial challenges of sending a child to college,” Aranas said. Thus, GSIS has made available 400 scholarship slots for children or dependents of low-income GSIS members and permanent total disability (PTD) pensioners below 60 years of age.
The pension fund, Aranas said, “will shoulder the tuition and miscellaneous fees” up to P40,000 per academic year and P3,000 allowance per month of each scholar.
The active GSIS members who are permanent employees; have at least three years in government service; have a salary grade of 24 or below (or its equivalent job level), and have paid premium contributions for the last six months may nominate their child or dependent. Single or married active members who are childless may nominate one of their dependents who rely on them for support. PTD pensioners below 60 years old may nominate their child only.
GSIS explained that the nominees or the children or dependents must be “incoming freshmen who have been accepted in any four- or five-year course or in priority courses” in Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-recognized schools with its own charter or a school qualified by the CHED as Levels IV and III, Autonomous or Deregulated.
As cited in its CHED CMO No. 1 series of 2014, among the CHED priority courses and specializations should be under Information Technology; Agriculture and Related fields; Teacher Education; Science and Math; Engineering; Health Sciences; Arts and Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Business Administration and related courses; Architecture; Maritime; Communication/Documentation; and other programs.
Meanwhile, Aranas said that of the 400 slots, a total of 40 will be allotted to dependents of persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and solo or single parents. “We have put this in place because we want to be more inclusive and add meaning to our assistance efforts,” he explained.
Likewise, GSIS said that monetary incentives in the amount of P20,000, P30,000, and P50,000 also await scholars who will graduate cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude, respectively.
The GSP application forms, requirements, and scholarship terms and conditions are available online at www.gsis.gov.ph. Interested members may [email protected]; call its office or visit the nearest GSIS office for inquiries or clarifications.
The GSIS has been granting scholarships to deserving children or dependents of members and pensioners as part of the pension fund’s corporate social responsibility program since 1998. To date, a total of 3,682 scholarship grants have been awarded by the state pension fund.