ROSALES, Pangasinan, Nov. 18 (PIA) – Pangasinenses who wish to enter college but don’t have the means will now have a shot at education through a scholarship courtesy of a mall chain.
Mall magnate SM Group has announced the opening of its college scholarship program for school year 2015-2016.
Roselle Gale, public relations officer of SM-Rosales, said all qualified graduating senior high school students whose annual family income is P150,000 and below may apply for free college education.
To qualify, the student must be a graduate of a public school with a weighted average grade of at least 88 percent in the second or third grading period, Gale said.
She said SM has been providing scholarships for 21 years to help provide quality education to bright but underprivileged public high school graduates and fulfill their dream of a college education.
“The scholarship started in 1993 with just 100 scholars. Now SM has been sponsoring 1,450 scholars with 82 partner-schools nationwide,” Gale told the Philippine Information Agency.
Aside from free tuition, SM scholars are also entitled to free school miscellaneous fees and a monthly allowance and a chance to work at the SM Stores and Supermarkets during their Christmas and summer breaks.
“Even if there are no strings attached when they graduate, the scholars still receive job offers from the SM Group of Companies and affiliates,” she said.
Gale said qualified applicants may visit SM City Rosales’ Mall Admin, the SM Store, and SM Hypermarket. Accomplished forms should be submitted on or before December 20, 2014 and a qualified applicant will undergo rigid screening and interview from January to March 2015.
“There is no quota as to the number of scholars per province because the selection will be based on their scores in the exam and interview,” she added.
The SM Foundation’s College Scholarship Program is the embodiment of the foundation’s education advocacy, one of many programs intended to extend immediate and long-range assistance to deprived communities in areas served by the SM Group of Companies, she added. (MCA/VHS/PIA-1/Pangasinan)