OCT.

16, 2013

NR # 3258B

Bill grants scholarship to part-time and independent students

Part-time and deserving students belonging to poor families will soon be granted scholarship if they will pass the basic criteria of the program. A-Teacher Party-List Reps. Julieta Cortuna and Mariano Piamonte, Jr. filed House Bill 41 to help the poor but deserving students to finish their studies while they are working. Cortuna said eligible students would get P30,000 scholarship grant per academic year for not more than 12-month period at any given educational institution. The bill defines part-time students as those students with not less than three semester hours and not more than 12 semester hours per semester, or the equivalent for a quarter or term while independent student refers to a student who finances his or her education without the assistance from anybody, including family. Covered by the bill are eligible students who need to be part-time and independent students, have obtained high school diploma for at least two preceding years, and are enrolled or eligible for enrollment in an undergraduate program of not less than nine months duration leading to a college degree, in an educational institution accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Furthermore, the applicant student should be a Filipino citizen, have good moral character and should not have been convicted of any crime involving moral depravity. Piamonte said free education in the Philippines oftentimes lacks quality, making quality education almost a luxury for some, especially ordinary Filipinos. Education is an investment for the future. The kind of education that we can provide will be tantamount to the kind of future that we can hope for as a country, the kind of future that we are worthy of, Piamonte said. Piamonte said the measure aims to prescribe the power and functions of the state agencies and institutions of higher education in the country in order to better facilitate and provide good quality education for everybody. The State declares to provide quality education for all and establish a grant program to foster the pursuit of post-secondary education by part-time, independent students who have insufficient resources, Piamonte said. (30) jc