The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has opened the application for its Merit Scholarship Program (CMSP) for incoming first-year college students for Academic Year (AY) 2023-2024.

“CHED is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for the Merit Scholarship Program,” the Commission posted on its Facebook page on Monday, March 20. “Apply now and take the first step towards a brighter future!” CHED added.

Courtesy of CHED

To apply, CHED said that interested applicants may send their documents online to their respective CHED Regional Offices.

“The selection process is highly competitive, and applicants will be ranked based on how well they meet the requirements,” CHED said.

On its official website, CHED said that there are 13,455 slots available for the Merit Scholarship Program for AY 2023-2024.

The deadline for submission is May 31, 2023.

The CHED Merit Scholarship Program (CMSP) is a government-funded scholarship aimed at supporting academically talented students.

CMSP’s priority is students who belong to special groups such as Underprivileged and homeless citizens (RA 7279); Persons with Disability (RA 7277); and solo parents and/or their dependents (RA 8371).

“This scholarship is open for incoming freshmen who want to pursue their undergraduate studies in any CHED recognized priority programs in private higher education institutions (HEIs) or State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs),” CHED said.

CHED explained that a qualified student may be awarded a full or partial scholarship under the State Scholarship and Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA).

The financial assistance, CHED added, may cover tuition and other fees, as well as a monthly stipend for living expenses.

“Overall, the CMSP is a valuable opportunity for promising Filipino students to pursue their higher education goals without having to worry about the financial burden,” CHED added.

To be eligible for CMSP, the applicant should be a Filipino citizen and a graduating high school student/high school graduate with a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 90 percent.

The eligible student applicants are required to submit certifications and/or Identification Cards (IDs) issued by the appropriate offices or agencies.

Those who will get the CMSP may avail of only one government-funded financial assistance program and the courses intended to enroll should be on the list of CHED Priority Programs.

The CMSP covers tuition and other school fees (TOSF); stipend which shall be released directly to the scholars or through HEIs; and book connectivity allowance per semester of a given academic year until the completion of the degree program.