DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Pangasinan announced that 195 incoming college freshmen have qualified for the 2023 Undergraduate Science and Technology (S&T) Scholarship Program of the agency’s Science Education Institute (SEI).
 
Bernalyn Martinez, Project Technical Assistant I of DOST-Pangasinan, said among the 2,270 total examinees in Pangasinan who took the qualifying exam held last March 18 to 19, 2023, only 195 of them qualified and will get to enjoy the benefits of the scholarship program.
 
The program has two scholarship categories such as the Republic Act (RA) No. 7687 or the Science and Technology Undergraduate Scholarship program and the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship program.
 
Martinez said 110 students qualified under RA No. 7687 while 85 students qualified for the Merit Scholarship program.
 
RA No. 7687 provides scholarships to poor but deserving students whose families’ annual gross incomes do not exceed the poverty threshold limit, while the Merit Scholarship program is awarded to students with high aptitude in science and mathematics who are willing to pursue careers in the fields of science and technology.
 
Qualifiers under RA No. 7687 and Merit Scholarship are expected to work in their fields of specialization.
 
She said the qualifiers will receive their Notice of Award via email and will be invited to attend the S&T Scholarship Policies and Procedures Orientation with their parents/legal guardians.
 
"The new scholars will enjoy scholarship privileges such as tuition fees and other school fees subsidies, monthly stipends, learning material and/or connectivity allowance, uniform allowance, transportation allowance, thesis allowance, and graduation allowance," Martinez said.
 
The new scholars will also be entitled to non-monetary benefits under the S&T Learning Assistance Program and will begin enjoying the benefits of their scholarship at the start of the first semester of the academic year 2023-2024. (JCR/AMB/EMSA/PIA Pangasinan)