Cebu Province Awards 56 College Scholarship Grants

The Cebu Provincial government gave out college education assistance to 56 honor students who graduated from public high schools in March 2008.

Board Member Juan Bolo said the scholarship assistance covers the tuition and other miscellaneous fees of the scholars in any government school.

The Cebu Tertiary Educational Assistance Program (CTEAP) of the provincial government is already on its nine years of existence.

The 56 new scholars, who entered college in June, have brought the total number of scholars under the CTEAP to 148.

“You are very fortunate to have been chosen from among the many applicants of the program,” said Bolo, chairperson of the committee on education of the provincial board, in a scholarship recognition program that was held at the Capitol Social Hall on Tuesday morning.

Gov. Gwen Garcia handed the scholarship certificates to the new scholars. She also inducted the new set of CTEAP officers.

Bolo said that scholars from the different parts of Cebu province were screened by the Local School Board.

The scholars have to maintain an average grade of 2.5 and render community service in a government office of their choice during summer vacation, he said.

“The scholarship grant will be automatically revoked if the student is found to have committed misconduct or misdemeanor against school policies or to have violated the scholarship policies,” said Bolo.

Scholars are also not allowed to shift to another course.

Garcia said she revived the CTEAP two years ago upon the suggestion of Bolo.

The scholarship program was temporarily suspended during the later part of the administration of former governor Pablo Garcia.

The governor said she too recognizes the value of education. Her father, Pablo, proved that poverty is not a hindrance to education.

Governor Garcia told the scholars that her father grew up very poor. His mother, Pepang, supported him and his seven other siblings.

Pablo had to walk eight kilometers daily from their barangay to Dumanjug town proper to attend classes.

The former governor graduated valedictorian in elementary and high school which allowed him to avail of a scholarship at the University of the Philippines where he took up Law.

Governor Garcia said her father ranked third in the Bar exams.

Garcia asked the scholars to make the former governor an inspiration in their studies.

Capitol Grants More College Scholarships

Cebu - The Provincial School Board will double the number of recipients of the provincial government’s scholarship program by granting aid to up to four scholars from every local government unit across the province.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, herself the chairperson of PSB, said the province has decided to accommodate more scholars so that more underprivileged but deserving students will get a chance at tertiary education.

There are 145 existing scholars all over the province, 11 of them will graduate this March.

Desiree Kristine Rita, a scholar from of San Fernando, told The FREEMAN she is among the 11 who will finish this March. She is taking up Liberal Arts and Commerce at the University of San Jose Recoletos.

“Kon wala ang scholarship di gyud ko kaeskwela sa college. Mao nga magpasalamat gyud ko ni Governor Garcia,” Rita said.

Rita said that aside from tuition fee, the province is giving them P1,000 allowance per month.

The graduating scholars will be receiving cash incentives and commendation to the graduating scholars.

Last year, the provincial government gave out education assistance to 56 honor students from public high schools.

The Cebu Tertiary Educational Assistance Program was started in 1993 during the term of then governor Pablo Garcia. It was revived two years ago through the request of Board Member Juan Bolo, who heads the committee on education in the Provincial Board.

Since CTEAP started, no recipient was removed from the scholarship roster, except in cases when the scholar failed to maintain the grade requirement and got married early.

Scholars need to maintain a grade of 2.5 and are required to render service for three weeks in jobs related to their field of education at any government office. Scholars are also not allowed to shift courses and are encouraged to enrol in so-called ladderized programs like education.

The province has encouraged scholars to enrol in either between the Cebu Normal University and Cebu State College of Science and Technology in a campus nearest to their homes.

This arrangement, Garcia said, would help decongest schools in Cebu City and would allow parents of the scholars to guide them in their education.

CNU has campuses in Cebu City and Balamban, while CSCST has nine campuses located in San Francisco, Daanbantayan, Danao, Carmen, Tuburan, Argao, Barili, Malabuyoc and Moalboal.

Cebu Doctor's University

Academic Scholarships and Awards

Cebu Doctors' University College of Medicine confers to students who have the qualification and none of the disqualifications the following privileges:

Entrance Scholarships
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Full and partial tuition scholarships for one year are offered to students graduating from their respective schools with the BS or AB degree on the following basis:
Summa Cum Laude : 100% free
Magna Cum Laude : 75% free
Cum Laude : 50% free

Applicants for scholarship grants must present proof of their graduation with honors from their respective Deans or Registrars.

College Scholarships
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Subject to the recommendation of the Dean, College scholarships will be awarded for one year to all regular students who obtain a weighted average of 88% or above in the preceding year with no grade below 80% under the following schedule:
95.0000% - 100.0000% : 100% free
90.0000% - 94.9999% : 75% free
88.0000% - 89.9999% : 50% free


Presidential Scholarships
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The first- and second-ranked students in each class will be awarded full tuition and half tuition scholarships, respectively, provided the weighted average is not less than 85% and there is no grade below 75%. The conditions for computation and awarding will be the same as those for College Scholarships.


Dean’s List
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The top ten regular students in each class who obtain a weighted average of 85% or greater without any failing grade at the end of an academic year may qualify for the Dean’s List and will be awarded a Certificate of Recognition. Excluded from the Dean’s List are those students who already qualify for College Scholarships and Presidential Scholarships.


Faculty Gold Medal and Silver Medal Awards
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Upon graduation, the students with the first and second highest general weighted averages from First Year to Third Year shall be awarded the Faculty Gold Medal and Faculty Silver Medal, respectively. All credits must have been earned at Cebu Doctors’ University College of Medicine.


CDU-CM Award for Most Outstanding Senior Clerk
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This is a cash award and plaque given upon graduation to the most outstanding Senior Clerk for the academic year.


Note:
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All scholarships and awards shall be granted upon recommendation of the Dean and the approval of the Board of Trustees. No student shall be granted more than one scholarship at a time. Foreign medical students are not eligible for scholarships.

The Cebu Doctors' University College of Medicine Awards Committee is the sole body tasked to screen and determine the qualification of all potential awardees. After ratification by the Board of Trustees, the Awards Committee’s decision shall be final.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

DOST 7 announces the names of the 2009 DOST-SEI scholarship qualifiers in Region 7. The awardees must seek admission in the identified fields of study at any of the state colleges and universities accredited by CHED as Center of Excellence or Center of Development. Each qualifier will receive a notice of award from the DOST-SEI or DOST Regional Offices stating the date of orientation and contract signing. He/She report at the designated venue with a parent/legal guardian who must bring a 2009 Community Tax Certificate. The legal guardian is required to present his/her affidavit of guardianship.


For more information about DOST's schoalrship visit: Department of Science and Technology Official Website

Commision on Higher Education (CHED)

CHED provides educational opportunities to poor but deserving students through various student financial assistance programs (STUFAPs)

LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS/STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

STATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (SSP)

The SSP was established by virtue of RA 4090 otherwise known as the State Scholarship Law for poor but deserving students who belong to the top 10 of the graduating class in high school and who intend to enroll in priority courses in selected HEIs. Applicants should not be more than 25 years old at the time of application to the program. Their parents or guardians have a combined gross annual income of not more than Php 120,000.00

SELECTED ETHNIC GROUP EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SEGEAP)

The SEGEAP is the PANAMIN Scholarship Program which was transferred to the DECS thru a Memorandum of Agreement duly signed by both Secretaries of the PANAMIN and DECS on July 10, 1997. This study grant can be availed of by members of the "hill tribes" who are poor but belonging to the upper 15% of the graduating class in high school, have leadership potentials, and intend to enroll in priority courses in selected HEIs.

NATIONAL INTEGRATION STUDY GRANT PROGRAM (NISGP)

The NISGP was established by virtue of P.D. 193 on May 15, 1973 for the members of the cultural minority groups who are poor but belonging to the upper 15% of the graduating class in high school and who intend to enroll in priority courses in selected HEIs. Applicants should not be more the 25 years old at the time of application to the program and their parents or guardians must have a gross annual income of not more than Php 120,000.00

CHED-DND-NPUD STUDY GRANT PROGRAM FOR MNLF OFFICER-INTEGREES

This is a study grant provided for MNLF Officer Integrees who are qualified to pursue college undergraduate programs in any curriculum year level in various priority courses. The integree-qualifiers shall enroll in any of the three SUCs namely: Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City, Region IX; Cotobato City State, Polytechnic College, Cotobato City, Region XII; and Sulu State College, Jolo Sulu, ARMM. The program aims to upgrade the education of the integrees to boost their military career and instill in them the desired value system so that they can contribute to the attainment of peace, order and stability in the country.

PRIVATE EDUCATION STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (PESFA)

The PESFA was established by virtue of RA 6728 "An Act Providing Government Assistance to the Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) and Appropriating Funds Therefore." This is a study grant for qualified and deserving college freshmen who intend to enroll or are presently enrolled in priority courses in selected HEIs and who are not more than 30 years of age at the time of application for the program.

STUDY NOW-PAY-LATER PLAN

This is an educational program of the government designed to promote democratization of access to educational opportunities in the tertiary level to poor but deserving students through financial assistance in the form of an educational loan. It is a scheme providing loan or credit to poor but deserving students who are enrolled in priority courses in selected higher education institutions. This special fund is used to finance loans to cover matriculation and other school fees and expenses for books, subsistence, and board and lodging.

COLLEGE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT FUND (CFDF)

The College faculty Development Fund was established by the CHED pursuant to RA 8545 amending RA 6728 for the purpose of improving the quality of teaching in higher education. It provides scholarships for graduate programs for faculty members in private colleges and university. This is managed by the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE) and open to full-time faculty members or administrators, with teaching assignments at a private college or university. Applicants must not be more than 40 years old for the Master's Program and not more than 50 years old for Doctoral Program.

CHED SPECIAL STUDY GRANT PROGRAM FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS (CHED-SSGD)

This special study grant was opened to poor but deserving college qualifiers from the 240 Congressional Districts of the country to enroll in a course and in any curriculum year level in public HEIs -SUCs and CHED supervised Institutions (CSIs). The grant is open to selected underprivileged students whose tuition, basic school fees and monthly stipends shall be defrayed from the Higher Education Development Fund.

OPAPP-CHED STUDY GRANT PROGRAM FOR REBEL RETURNEES

This program is jointly undertaken by the CHED and NPUDC, now part of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), to expand the access of former rebels to college education opportunities.

The study grant program is open to qualified rebel returnees from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), The New Peoples Army (NPA) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) or their next of kin who cannot afford to study in college due to financial constraints. Available slots are equitably distributed among rebel groups and sub-groups considering the member of the present and projected number of rebel returnees. Only one slot will be alloted to the qualified rebel returnee or his designated qualified next-of-kin beneficiary. The rebel returnee or his next-of-kin should apply in the study grant program within two years after the issuance of amnesty certificate. Otherwise, the eligibility for the slot is forfeited.

STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM (SLP) FOR CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

In accordance with the special provision on Student Loan Funds under the General Appropriations Act, FY 2000 CHED adopted and promulgated the guidelines for the implementation of the Student Loan Program for Centers of Excellence in priority courses. The special provision on Student Loan Funds provides that the amount of Thirty Five Million Pesos (P35 M) appropriated under activity III a.3 of RA 8760 shall be considered as grants to participating institutions duly accredited as Centers of Excellence by CHED as of December 1999, to be made available as loans to deserving but financially disadvantaged students.

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, MAJOR IN SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS FOR SELECTED STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES (SSP-BSE-SSUC)

This scholarship program for selected State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) was initiated by Senator Teresita Aquino-Oreta funded under the General Appropriation Act, FY 2000 to attract and encourage above average students to enroll in the Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in Science and Mathematics in selected SUCs.

STUDENT LOAN FUND FOR REGION V (SLF-R5)

This student loan program initiated by Senator Raul. S. Roco who made possible the allocation of Twenty Million Pesos (P 20,000,000.00) aims at providing poor but deserving students of Region 5 access to higher education opportunities so that they become productive members of the society. It is a special fund which caters to qualified college students of any curriculum year and out-of-school youth who have earned units in college. The loanees of this fund are residents of the Bicol Region and should qualify under the criteria set in the guidelines.

CHED -SENATE STUDY GRANT PROGAM

This study grant program established by CHED covers a period of four (4) academic years, from AY 2002-2003 to AY 2005-2006, in accordance with the thrust to further widen the access of poor but deserving students to higher education opportunities. Each of the Senators is allotted twenty (20) scholarship slots. Grantees may take any four-year degree course of their choice preferably in a state college or university.

For more information about CHED visit: CHED Official Website

KFF Foundation Inc.

Address: 061 Legaspi St., Cebu City
For inquiries: info@kfffoundation.com

HISTORY

The foundation started as a promise. A promise of commitment eventually grew and helped lots of young, determined, intelligent individuals of Cebu . The year was 1983 when a European went to the Philippines and chose Cebu as his point of destination.

He was a government doctor who specialized in the care and treatment of problem youths in part of Europe. During his stay in the country, among many other people he met a boy. The boy was not ordinary; he needed to work at his early age. Both exchanged addresses and the boy swore to write him regularly. As the boy kept sending him letters, he learned to knew him inch by inch and got a picture of his life and difficulties. Inspired by his dedication, he helped him to continue his studies and fulfill his dreams. The involvement went on strong and deep; he extended his support not only to the boy's siblings but to others as well.

Through time, the family of scholars expanded and the promise went on in the name of Kff Foundation. For more than a decade, the foundation has granted scholarships for gifted youths who lack the financial capacity of going to school. Aside from the financial support, the foundation also shapes them to become more skilled individuals and professionals through weekly reporting, brainstorming,and teambuilding. With this, they will be ready to face the challenges ahead of them. The foundation will still continue its promise and will still be through the end of time.



MISSION

We develop socially competent and highly skilled college graduates from the poorest but brightest and most goal oriented in the slum, by paying their education in good schools and also training them in social and leadership skills in order to get the best of two worlds: The proactiveness in the successful from the slum combined with social and technical skills needed to make the class journey. These become hard working, goal oriented and flexible professionals and entrepreneurs.



VISION

We are not crying over the poor; we know there will always be inequality among people; we are really not very sentimental at all, but when we see potential unused or wasted, we feel an urge to interfere to take care for and develop the potential to its fullest - if possible.

We think we have a great idea! We vacuum clean the public high schools among the poorest of the poor children in Cebu City and select those with the best potential to be future leaders and role models. We work as scientific as circumstances permit in the selection and further we supply additional education in areas where the youths would otherwise fail because of lacking cultural support from their environment.

We choose youths motivated to work inside the Philippines after graduation in order to maximize the spin-off effect from successful professionals.

We have previously been working for 35 years in Europe, developing methods to diagnose and treat juvenile delinquents there. So many resources are invested in those who are not motivated. Still we get result with them. But for a change we would like to invest our knowledge, care and resources in youths who try to struggle despite lack of the same things we use as explanations for others becoming delinquent.

To focus on what is healthy in children despite unsupportive circumstances may teach us new things that the standard form of studying failure does not.

Our logo tells ‘Teaching youths tame dragons' or ‘Taught youths make dragons tame', meaning that with enough knowledge about human beings we can handle also a hostile and ungenerous environment, which is exactly what our youths need to do. If you are borne in the slum, you are not expected to raise your social status very much. There are many forces in the society who try to limit your career. Maybe the old family is the biggest obstacle in many cases, instead too early wanting to share the income from a limited education. Career is also very much dependent on a backing system in this country. You need to know somebody who recommends you to a job, keeping the best positions within the already most resourceful families. Further, if you grow up in the slum, you learn the value system and the life style of the slum, that works well there but not in the career part of the society. You need to re-learn your whole value system to compete with those already borne into the prosperous class. All these are very powerful factors hindering the class travel from poverty to a prosperous career and most often forgotten in charity projects in developing countries.

We are trying to compensate for the environmental deficiencies in several ways. We have a continuous and compulsory seminar series with the grantees every Saturday where we study leaderships all different aspects. We do it in seminar form around good books on cultural differences, leadership, business circumstances, psychology, conflict resolution, body language, sociology, etc. At the same time we are training the presentation skill and use (sometimes very tough) feedback from the other grantees about the ability to get the message through, keep the audience alert and so on. As many of our grantees have outside the foundation very limited grown up support and counseling, the
foundation itself becomes an extended family involved in what ever problems of life may show up. A few become permanent members of the foundation family itself, with the purpose to guarantee sustainability of the foundation for the future.

Once we have selected a grantee, we act like parents in the sense that we do our best to make them really also successfully acquire their diploma. Our selection criteria guarantees that they have the intelligence needed, but so may other circumstances in life are also interfering. Then we try not just to reject them because of temporary failures, but help them with summer classes when needed. Like parents we have to take their emotional development into account and try to provoke development where such is needed rather than act as judges rejecting.

We use to compare our attitude to the one of a gardener who loves his work. We try to feed and fertilize and give water enough to our plants. When a branch is growing in the wrong direction, we cut it off, but we also cover the wound as well as we can so that it can heal. We try to assure that the sunshine comes in the right amount from the right
direction so that the tree will grow healthy and beautiful and maybe give some fruits also. Anyhow our reward is to see it grow.

This means also that we have no demands on our grantees to give anything back to us after finishing school other than act as mentors and backers of future grantees in order to create the necessary network compensating for the fact that they do not belong to famous families in Philippines. We need to make the Kff Foundation their famous family that can act as guarantee for their professional and social excellence. That job has started but is still in its cradle. Mediocrity is our enemy.

Even there is no demand to work for the Kff Group, some may be hired as staff in the supporting companies Kff Corporation, supporting economic development in micro financing business and the biggest financier of Kff Foundation, and Kff Ruftan Pension house that is also partly financing the foundation activity. Kff Corporation is highly Information Technology oriented and can absorb College educated staff both in engineering and in commerce oriented areas. As we normally get 200 qualified applications per advertised position, job opportunities is also an asset for the scholars. Diploma and awards represent only the starting point of a career. Thereafter comes the search for greatness, with growing maturity. Also here the Kff Foundation plays a role. Like normal children in a family you do not just cut the ties after they are finished with College. You are needed to guide them may years thereafter also, only slowly diminishing the guidance detail. That is education. Poverty is only part of the problem.

For more information visit: KFF Foundation's Website