A Primer on the Foreign Scholarships/Training Program

What is the Foreign Scholarships/Training Program?

The Foreign Scholarships/Training Program (FSTP) is a component of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) extended to the Philippines by foreign donor countries, the objective of which is to enhance the capabilities of institutions in accordance with the national development thrusts and strategies.

The FSTP is planned and negotiated annually with the donors based on the identified training needs of agencies/institutions. It consists of degree and non-degree, academic and non-academic short-term courses.

How is the Program administered?

Pursuant to EO 402, the FSTP is administered by the Department of Education (DepEd) for basic education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for degree courses, and the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for non-degree courses.

Their main functions are:

• Coordination and administration of foreign scholarships and training study programs under bilateral and multilateral agreements, various technical cooperation programs, and other special programs;

• Formulation of policies and procedures concerning scholarship availment, scholars benefits and entitlements, return service obligations, application for extension of awards, etc;

• Pre-selection and nomination of the Philippine Government official candidates for foreign funded scholarships and training study grants

What are the sectoral priorities of the Program?

The Program adopts the following sectoral priorities identified in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) in classifying scholarships and trainings:

• Macro Economic and Development Financing

• Agri-Industrial Development (Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, Industry/Trade and Tourism & Development Diplomacy, Environment and Natural Resources, Science and Technology)

• Human Development (Health and Nutrition, Education, Social Welfare and Development and Housing)

• Infrastructure (Transportation, Communications, Energy and Power, Water Resources and Social Infrastructure)

• Development Administration (local Government and Crime/Police Administration, Public Policy and Administration, International Relations, etc.)

What kind of scholarship programs are offered under the FSTP?

These are regular and tailor-made programs which are classified into academic and non-academic courses.

The academic courses are long-term degree courses, the duration of which ranges from one to three years. The non-academic courses, on the other hand are short-term specialized trainings usually ranging from two weeks to seven months

What are the existing scholarship programs and the respective donor countries under the FSTP?

Specific scholarship programs are classified into:

A. Colombo Plan: India and Singapore

B. Bilateral Program: Austria, Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, Federal Republic of Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Israel, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United States.

C. Special Programs: United Nation Agencies, ASEAN/EC Scholarship Program, Japan Scholarship Fund for the ASEAN Youth (JSFAY), and other regional organizations

Who are the target beneficiaries of the Program?

The target beneficiaries are officials and employees of government agencies/institutions, private sector and accredited non-government organizations.

Who are qualified to avail of foreign scholarship grants?

All Filipino citizens employed in either the government or private sector institutions including those working with non-government organizations may avail of foreign scholarship grants provided:

A. The following basic requirements are met:

• Must not have any pending administrative or criminal charges;

• Must be physically and mentally fit to undergo training;

• Must have a permanent or regular status of appointment, except for project-related courses;

• Must meet the educational requirements of the program;

• Must have at least two years of working experience, the last two years of which is with the nominating institution at the time of nomination;

• Must not have pending application for scholarships in another program or has completed the return service obligation from previous scholarship, if any.

B. The nominee passes the pre-selection criteria;

C. The nominee meets specific donor country requirements.

What are the general criteria for the selection of candidates?

The general criteria for the selection of candidates are:

A. The field of study where a candidate is nominated must be related to or in line with his/her current official functions;

2. The candidate’s undergraduate course must meet the requirements of the program that he/she is applying for; and

C. The academic performance of the candidate in his/her undergraduate course, especially in the core subjects relating to the program being applied for, shall be at least on the average level.

What are the procedures for availment of a scholarship grant for degree courses?

The general procedures are as follows:

A. The nominee shall be endorsed by the head or deputized official of the agency/organization, both government and private sectors.

B. The nomination of candidates from regional agencies shall be coursed through its central office.

C. The documentary requirements for nominees coming from Luzon and Metro Manila areas shall be submitted before the deadline indicated in the CHED invitation to the agency to the CHED International Affairs Service (IAS), or CHED Regional Office in Cebu in the case of Visayas nominees, and in Davao for Mindanao nominees. These may be sent either through regular mail or messengerial pouches.

D. The date of personal interview is indicated in the CHED invitation letter. Nominees are required to confirm with CHED-IAS or Regional Screening Committees (Cebu or Davao) the exact time two days prior to interview schedule.

E. The nominee shall be informed immediately of the results on the same day of interview. Those who pass the pre-selection process shall be required to accomplish and submit to the CHED the donor’s nomination forms and other additional documentary requirements.

F. Upon receipt of an Embassy Note Verbale on an acceptance on non-acceptance of a nominee to a scholarship grant, the nominating agency shall be officially informed by the CHED of its nominee’s acceptance upon the latter’s receipt of notice from the donor’s embassy. The accepted nominee shall then prepare his/her travel documents in coordination with the IAS.

What are the obligations of the nominating agency?

The nominating agency shall:

A. Provide the necessary travel documentation of the accepted nominees (i.e. issuance of foreign travel order, scholarship service contract, etc.)

B. Provide financial entitlements and attendant benefits in accordance with the provisions under Executive Order No. 129, as amended by E.O. No. 367, (i.e. payment of awardee’s salary for the duration of his/her training, clothing allowance, as necessary, and pre-travel expenses); and,

C. Assist the CHED in ensuring the scholar’s compliance with return service obligations and submission of a post training report.

What are the obligations of the scholarship awardees?

Prior to his/her departure, the awardee shall sign and furnish the CHED-IAS a Scholarship Training Contract which provides the following terms and conditions:

A. Observe proper behavior befitting a Filipino representative abroad;

B. Return to his/her agency upon completion of the program;

C. Render the required number of months or years of return service to his/her agency corresponding to the duration of his/her training; and,

D. Submit a post-training report to CHED-IAS upon his/her return from training.

For further information, please contact
Commission on Higher Education
International Affairs Service
HEDC Bldg., C.P. Garcia Ave., UP Diliman, Q.C.
Tel. Nos. +632-4410750 or +632-3854827

Email: ched_ias@gmail.com

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