GSIS 7 urges low-salaried gov’t workers to avail of educational scholarship program‘deadline for application set on June 15’
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, May 26 (PIA) -- Government employees with low-income salaries are urged to avail of the new Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Scholarship Program as deadline is set on June 15.
GSIS 7 Regional Manager Ma. Fatima Alvarez bared there are 200 scholarship slots nationwide while Cebu and Bohol are allotted with 10 slots. GSIS 7 covers the provinces of Cebu and Bohol only.
“We started accepting the applications since May 15 as we asked those who are interested to submit their application before June 15 as after this date, we will no longer accept late submissions,” said Alvarez during the special Kapihan sa PIA, Friday morning that tackled on the agency’s educational loan assistance and scholarship programs.
Alvarez said the priority for the scholarship grant is public servants whose salary grade falls below 24.
“We are checking the applications to determine who really is worthy to be given the scholarship. The best indicator would be the Income tax return or ITR,” disclosed Alvarez.
Those qualified to avail of the program should just fill out the application form for the scholarship grant and submit to their office. But the scholarship grant is only for the child of the GSIS member who must be an incoming college freshman, stressed Alvarez.
According to Alvarez, the GSIS Board of Trustees revised the selection of scholars putting more weight on low-income rather than the basis of intelligence of the child-scholar of the GSIS member.
The educational grants given before were very competitive because apart form the stringent exams. The grantee chosen should maintain an 85 percent general average, revealed Alvarez.
“That is why there is a high termination rate of drop-out of the scholar-beneficiaries. This is the reason why this year, the scholarship grant is more on the benefit for poor government workers. Although this does not mean that the scholar-beneficiary should not maintain the required average grade,” further said Alvarez.
Scholar-beneficiaries can take up a four or five-year course in level III and IV Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-accredited school while under the program, the recipient is allowed to shift his or her course only once in his or her first or second year of college.
In Cebu, the CHED-accredited schools include Cebu Doctors University, Cebu Normal University, University of San Jose Recoletos, University of the Philippines, University of San Carlos and University of the Visayas.
Alvarez said the GSIS Scholarship Program started in 1998 and benefited 1,371 scholars nationwide. Out of the total scholars, 17 were terminated due to failure of maintaining the required average grade.
The 10 scholarship slots for Cebu and Bohol this year are still open as Alvarez said that in case, there are non-qualifiers in both provinces, then the 10 slots would be given to other regions.
Alvarez said that every year, the GSIS 7 would be allotted with 10 scholarship slots. “Those who may not be so lucky this year can again apply next year,” she added. (FCR/ Niño Jesryl Maglasang, CNU Communication Intern/PIA 7,Cebu)
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GSIS 7 offers educational assistance loan for its members
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, May 26 (PIA) -- With school opening due to begin in less than two weeks time, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) opens its doors to its 1.3M active members nationwide its Educational Assistance Loan Program.
Under the GSIS Educational Assistance (EA) Program, its members can avail of a one-time loan of P4,000 until December 28, this year.
GSIS 7 Regional Manager Ma. Fatima Alvarez said the program is a promise made by President Aquino during his Labor Day message.
“The mode of application is over the counter and the member can easily get the amount in one to two weeks’ time if all the data in the application form is in order,” said Alvarez.
There are over 67,000 active members in both the provinces of Cebu and Bohol which are the areas of coverage of the GSIS 7.
“At present, there are already 16, 464 applications filed by individuals, or through the liaison officers and 2, 727 were approved while some of those are yet to be evaluated,” bared Alvarez.
Alvarez said the EA loan is payable in five years with an interest of six percent per annum while the borrower is entitled to only pay the monthly interest for the amount of P20 while the loaned amount would be paid in bulk on the 60th month after the availment.
Since this is a special loan, Alvarez added that all applicants are required to fill-up a form and the application shall be made over-the-counter, to be filed either by the member or through the Liaison Officer. “But at present, we will only entertain those applications from the authorized liaison officer to avoid overcrowding in our office,” disclosed Alvarez.
Alvarez said disapproved applications are due to the following reasons: no UMID e-card, inactive status (separated from service), unmatched data (advised to go to the Agency Authorized Officer (AAO) to request data updating), no cell phone number, and no signature indicated in the application form.
The application form is available in the official website of GSIS and is downloadable. (FCR/Maila L. Paguntalan/CNU Communication Intern/PIA 7, Cebu)