Scholarships for HS grads

Imagine the number of high school graduates every year all over the country.  The number of gifted individuals among this batch is also significant that it would be a ridiculously idiotic to ignore them.

Talents need not be on athletics alone as a person’s ability is unique to one’s self.  Programs are to be formulated and drawn up so that these talents will reach their full potential and hopefully wont be exploited.

Since this column takes residence on the sports pages, we deal on the matter.

A Member of Congress has encouraged private and state-run colleges and universities nationwide to study and develop athletic scholarship programs for high school graduates who can’t pay for their tertiary education but are good in sports.  This will enable the recipient to attend college in relation to their athletic abilities.

House Deputy Majority Leader Roman T. Romulo noted that these programs are almost unheard of in the Philippines compared to other countries.

“Right now, two out of every five high school graduates are unable to proceed to college due to steep tuition.  Athletic scholarships can help put more high school graduates through college.  While common in the US and other countries, college athletic scholarship programs are still unfortunately rare here in the Philippines”, Rep. Romulo said.

With basketball, volleyball, football, athletics, boxing and swimming as the most popular events here, this program can definitely help budding athletes in their desire to get college education.

Of course, other sports can also be introduced by these academic institutions.  There will never be a dearth of talents as we are a country populated by almost 90 million people spread around the 7,101 islands, low or high tide, with more than half of this in the 14 to 18 year old range.  Ideal ages for training.

I’m not so sure about the role of our college alumni but there are three universities I know that definitely have full alumni support as far as student-athletes are concerned – Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle and UP.

The Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education were also requested by Rep. Romulo to jointly develop a program addressing these high school graduates gifted with athletic skills, which will in turn be formally endorsed to tertiary institutions that offer athletic scholarships.

The practice now is that high school athletes will be shopping for colleges who will be interested in their talents, hoping to be given the chance to study thru this program.  With Rep. Romulo’s program, it will DepEd and CHeD who will be recommending the said candidate to schools offering such scholarships.

As to guidelines and regulations, it would be the college or university concerned to do their own sets of rules for the qualified candidates to follow.

Rep. Romulo also authored a proposed bill, already approved on 3rd and final reading during the 15th Congress, An Act Establishing a Student Assistance Program by Banks and other Government Financial Institutions.

This enables a qualified student to avail of a low-cost bank loan to pay for their college tuition and can also be used for other academic-related expenses.  Students will start paying their loans two years after graduating but not later than eight years after leaving school.

SSS or GSIS numbers will be issued to borrowers, dependent on their preferred choices of employment.  Likewise, banks where loans were made can coordinate with the SSS or GSIS to collect payments thru salary deductions.  Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) may also assist banks in cases of those who get overseas employment.

Since this “utang” bill for college students is already approved, it wont be long for it to be enacted, provided of course if P-Noy willingly lends his autograph on the ordinance.  Hopefully, Rep. Romulo can also file a proposed bill addressing scholarships for high school graduates.  Its about time as some college recruiters are now getting to be like illegal job recruiters.

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