Stringent guidelines set for scholarship program

More stringent requirements will be in place to curb  dropouts from  the Cebu City government’s college scholarship program.

In an interview, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said even before the Commission on Audit (COA) came out with its  audit observation memorandum, the council already came out with guidelines to correct deficiencies in the program.

COA said the high rate of dropouts was due to inadequate screening of program beneficiaries.

Last March, the scholarship committee recorded 1,259 students who didn’t enroll for the second semester or a 25 percent dropout rate.

Auditors said the P12.5 million spent by the city  for the program was wasted due to the dropout rate for school year 2010-2011.

Young said the city’s scholarship committee already noted these deficiencies, which included  inadequate screening of program beneficiaries, some of whom weren’t even Cebu City residents.

There was also no clear guidelines in the accreditation of college and universities where city scholars are enrolled.

Young said the scholarship committee tapped a psychometrician to conduct career examinations that would help guide applicants choose  the career they wanted to pursue.

Courses offered under the scholarship program were classified into 4-5 year courses, the 4-year bachelor’s degree courses and technical and vocational courses.

Young’s report said the rules and and general guidelines of the program will specify who may avail of the scholarship program and how the schools will be accredited.

The scholarship committee also came out with primers to inform parents about  how much support  is needed for their child’s education, transportation, meal allowance, books and school supplies among others.

“It is common knowledge that  students from poor families usually do not excel academically. This is the reason  the program did not require an average grade to be maintained,” Young said.

“The program aims to produce at least one professional for every family in Cebu City. That way, we may be able to reduce poverty through education,” the vice mayor added.