MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday clarified that it does not have any scholarship program for indigent students, only minimal educational assistance.
“It is not within DSWD’s mandate to implement scholarship programs, but we provide minimal educational assistance as we recognize that indigent students need help in addressing other school-related expenses,” DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel Leyco said.
Leyco said that under their Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), which forms part of the package of the Protective Services Program of DSWD, they are helping meet some of the educational needs of the children of indigent families but this does not constitute a scholarship program.
AICS provides intervention to individuals, families and communities in difficult and vulnerable situations or those who are in critical condition.
Through the AICS, indigent students may avail of the educational assistance by presenting their assessment form/certificate of enrolment/registration for the current school semester, validated school ID, and a barangay certificate of indigency.
For elementary and high school students, the educational assistance may be secured only once — every enrolment period.
Indigent college students, however, may seek assistance every semester.
For second semester 2017-2018, some 5,000 indigent students are expected to receive PHP3,000 each.
Of the total number of slots for educational assistance, 4,000 are allotted for seven state universities and colleges/schools while the remaining 1,000 are students from other schools who may also need assistance.
These are the Quezon City Polytechnic University; University of Caloocan City; Colegio de Montalban; San Mateo Municipal College; University of Rizal System Rodriguez Campus; Polytechnic University of the Philippines – QC Campus; and Valenzuela City Polytechnic College.
Indigent students who have no existing scholarship grant and those who have not availed of the educational assistance from the previous semesters are given priority.
Meanwhile, students of other universities may proceed directly to the DSWD Central Office in Batasan or at the DSWD’s National Capital Region office in Legarda, Manila.