Graduating high school students from public and private schools can now apply for science and technology scholarships offered by the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI). Science Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro announced the availability of scholarships for senior high school students wishing to pursue baccalaureate degree programs in the basic sciences, applied sciences, and science teaching or 2-3 year technician courses.

To avail of the scholarship, an applicant must be among the top 5% of the high school graduating class as certified by the school principal, a natural-born Filipino citizen, in good health and of good moral character, and a qualifier of the S&T Scholarship Examination. Those who have taken units in any post-secondary or undergraduate course or the DOST-SEI Scholarship Examination, or applied for resident/immigrant status in another country are not qualified to apply.

Science scholars are entitled to free tuition fees not exceeding P8,000 a year, monthly stipend, allowance for books and school supplies, outright grant for military and P.E. uniforms, reimbursable round trip transportation for those studying outside their home province, group health and accident insurance and additional privileges for summer study, if so required.

Application forms are now available at the DOST-SEI Office located at the 3rd Floor of PTRI Bldg in Bicutan, Taguig, Metro Manila , DOST Regional Offices and Provincial S&T Centers, DepEd Regional Offices, Land Bank Branches and Office of the Congressmen. Forms are also available online at www.science-scholarships.ph. Accomplished application forms should be submitted to SEI or the nearest DOST Regional Office. Deadline for application is on December 13, 2002. All applicants are required to take the S&T Scholarship Examination on January 19, 2003 to be administered in 75 testing centers nationwide.

One of the undergraduate scholarship programs of DOST-SEI, the R.A. 7687 S&T Scholarships, is designed to support the academic training of 3,500 deserving students belonging to families with annual gross income of P120,000 and below. Qualifiers to this program may choose to pursue any of the priority academic degrees or technician courses specified by DOST. Another program, the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarships, with only 270 slots available, caters to students of any economic level, wishing to take up careers in basic and applied sciences in 32 selected tertiary level institutions. Other programs are devoted to the pre-service education of future science and math teachers as a strategy to provide a steady supply of qualified science and mathematics teachers at the basic education level.

New scholars are added every year to the roster of on-going scholars through a selection procedure which measures not only the intellective and non-intellective abilities of the applicants but also their capacity to maintain a performance level required of all DOST-SEI scholars for the entire duration of their study .

• 2003 DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship
• 2003 RA 7687 S and T Scholarship