Scholarship 101: Full Tuition vs Partial Tuition

Scholarships indeed serve as a bridge for students to get through their schooling and achieve their goals. Different academic institutions, government agencies, and private organizations are providing numerous opportunities for students to pursue their education. Some of the most common forms of student financial aids are the full and partial scholarships.

 

These scholarships are both aimed to subsidize the cost of tuition fees and other expenses that parents and students have to pay for their studies. But how do these programs differ from each other? Before you start sending out your application letters and filling forms, it is important to know which type of scholarship you’re eligible for.

 

Full tuition scholarships

Full tuition scholarships are what most students vie for. This type of scholarship covers 100% coverage of your tuition. Aside from this, it also covers miscellaneous fees that will surely ease the weight on your parent’s pocket. Depending on the organization offering the program, full tuition scholarships may also include allowances on books, uniform, transportation. Some financial aids even provide students with meal allowances (but it doesn’t mean you can now order two boxes of pizza though!). Some scholars in their senior years, or those who are taking their post-graduate degrees are given support for their research. Full tuition scholarships can also be your way to travel abroad too, as some organizations fund students to have the opportunities to pursue their degrees in abroad.

 

But together with their enticing perks, the competition for full tuition offerings are also high. To be a scholar, you must not only have a high GPA or GWA from your previous year but also do well in your entrance exams, especially if you are aiming to enter some of the country’s top higher education institutions. Being a scholar, you also have to maintain a certain grade quota depending on the requirements of the program you are in.

 

Students can also apply through Student Assistance (SA) programs. SA programs allow students to have part-time work inside the school in exchange for scholarship. Aside from getting financial support, this is also a great way to apply the learnings you receive in class and gain valuable experiences that will better help you in your future job. That being said, you need to manage your time to be able to keep up with the demands of your part-time work and studies.

 

Partial tuition scholarships

Partial tuition scholarship ranges from tuition fee discounts, full tuition coverage (but does not include miscellaneous expenses), or one-time payments among many sources. Though it may seem little compared to the perks of full tuition scholarships, students can still benefit a lot from partial tuition scholarship programs. Program specific scholarships are the most common provider of student financial aids. Some student organizations can also have scholarship funds that you can try.

 

Though grade retentions in some of these programs are not as competitively high as the full scholarship, this doesn’t mean that you can just chill. Institutions providing them are particular about academic performance so you have to work hard to earn them. In addition, when your scholarship is not enough, you may still have to work while attending school. It will also be helpful to apply in a job that adds value to your degree.

 

Different organizations like Lifebank, Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Lamudi Philippines Undergraduate Scholarship Program, and the Lasallian Scholar Program are just some of the financial aid providers you can check out in Edukasyon.ph.

 

Interested to know more about the different scholarships offered here in the Philippines and abroad? Visit Edukasyon.ph’s scholarship listings now or visit this blog for tips about scholarship applications.