Philippine Graduate School Scholarships 101

Pursuing graduate school is an exciting yet challenging part of any person’s career development journey. It serves as a great opportunity to expand your career options, master your craft, or even increase your earning potential. However, post-grad education requires a hefty amount of funding to support the tuition fee and other miscellaneous expenses. One of the options students can take is through applying to graduate school scholarships. If you are planning to apply or currently looking for a scholarship, here are some of the important things that you need to know:

What are the common requirements for graduate school scholarships in the Philippines?

The requirements for post-grad financial aids depend on the organization. However, here are the common documents that you need to prepare:

General Eligibility Requirements:

• Philippine citizenship
• Language proficiency
• College degree with major in the field of specialization
• Excellent scholastic records
• Professional work experience (after college) in the field of specialization.
• Proposed thesis or dissertation title

Required Documents:

• Transcript of records from all colleges/universities attended
• Certified true copy of diploma (not original)
• Completed application form

Aside from these, other institutions may require a recommendation letter either from your current employer or your college dean as well as essays (commonly about why you deserve the scholarship) among others.

What is the timeline in applying for graduate school scholarships in the Philippines?

Once you decide to apply for a scholarship, it’s best to start planning your calendar. Application processes usually take months depending on the institution. You need to give yourself plenty of time for the following:

• Searching for scholarship providers.

Whether you are pursuing local, private foundation, employer-based scholarship and financial grant options, you need to consider which type or scholarship best suits your needs.

• Gathering requirements.

Remember that some documents take time to process. Some university and government documents might take a while. It’s better to allot time allowance on gathering each requirement so you won’t have any problem with the submission deadlines later on.

• Sending your applications.

Make sure each application is completed. Pay attention to individual requirements whether via online or printed. Other providers may require phone interview for candidates, so keep your contact details up-to-date. Check if there are any misspelled words on your application forms.

• Writing your application essay.

Your scholarship application essay may vary. Think thoroughly about how are you going to write it. Essentially, your essay must clearly express your valuable undergraduate learnings and how the scholarship can help you take it further to a post-grad level.

While waiting for your application to your dream scholarship, consider having a back-up or contingency plans. So when it didn’t work out, you still have other options.

How many graduate school scholarships are there in the Philippines?

There are hundreds of graduate school local and international scholarships here in the country that you can apply. These student financial aids are offered by local government units, universities and colleges, private foundations and organizations, and even corporations. However, the competition to these scholarships can be pretty high so you need to bring your A-game on each application to increase your chances of landing a scholarship!

What are the top corporate scholarships for graduate school?

Many large corporations often set aside company funds for a variety of scholarship programs as part of their CSR (corporate social responsibility). These programs may be merit-based, need-based, but most often these scholarships target specific disciplines. Some of the leading corporate scholarships in the country are the MSc in Entrepreneurship and Global Marketing from Hinrich Foundation; Wedu Rising Star Leadership Development Program from Wedu; and the Fulbright Graduate Student Program.

What are the graduate school scholarships offered by the government?

The local and national government also provide grants and financial assistance to aspiring professionals who wish to further their education. You can apply to a number of scholarships like the Engineering Research And Development For Technology and Foreign Graduate Scholarship program from DOST-SEI.

What are the schools in Luzon that offer graduate school scholarships?

Luckily, there are many schools in Luzon that provide student aids to help with their education. For example, teachers and academicians who want to pursue post-grad degrees can apply to Ateneo De Manila University’s Scholarship for Teachers and Academicians that offer 50% discount to tuition fee while De La Salle University has the St. La Salle Financial Assistance Grant dedicated to incoming graduate studies students in their various colleges.

What are the schools in Visayas that offer graduate school scholarships?

If you are from Visayas who is eyeing to attain a graduate study degree, there are a lot of scholarship options to support you! The Univerisity of the Philippines Visayas offers Honorific Scholarships; the Western Visayas State Univesity has scholarships like the National Consortium in Graduate Science and Mathematics Education for teachers. If you are planning to pursue a Doctor in Medicine degree, Cebu provides a number of medical scholarship for aspiring doctors.

What are the schools in Mindanao that offer graduate school scholarships?

Davao, one of the biggest region in Mindanao, is home to hundreds of high-quality schools that provide financial assistance opportunities to students. Some of the Davao scholarships include CHED’s K to 12 Transition Program Scholarships, while the University of Southeastern Philippines offers the Masters and Doctoral Fellowships Program.

What are the schools abroad that offer graduate school scholarships?

Aside from enrolling to local colleges and universities, students also consider foreign and international schools for their masters and doctoral degrees. Studying abroad can be one of the most life-changing experiences in your student journey! Students who are planning to take a degree in Masters in Public Policy and Management can apply to CHED’s MPPM Scholarship Programme offered by the Universiti Brunei Darussalam; as well as the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship dedicated to doctoral and postdoctoral students who have a chance to study in Switzerland.

Want to know more scholarship tips and guides? Visit Edukasyon’s Scholarships blog section now! You can also check Edukasyon.ph and browse through thousands of schools, colleges, and scholarships that could be the best one for you!