While the SM scholarship program supports 1,500 scholars every year, the incoming school year (2016-2017) is unique.
There will be fewer scholars matriculating for four- and five-year baccalaureate degrees due to the full implementation of the K-12 basic education curriculum.
Grade 10 students of school year 2015-2016 will then be the pioneer Senior High School students as stipulated in Republic Act 10533 thus becoming the first batch to take on the additional two years of basic education schooling.
In the past, regular SM college scholars were enrolled in over 80 partner colleges and universities nationwide. Yearly, the Foundation welcomes a new batch of scholars to fill in the slots left by scholar graduates. For school year 2015-2016, it opened its doors to 275 new scholars.
According to Carmen Linda Atayde, SMFI executive director for Education, this school year “we count a few scholars coming from the experimental Senior High School classes conducted by DepEd. There may also be a select few who may have passed previous scholarship screening but opted to postpone schooling.”
In spite of fewer college scholars for the coming school year, SM Foundation will honor its commitment to assist financially-constrained students with their education by strengthening its Technical-Vocational Scholarship Program. Its longtime partnership with Don Bosco Makati Technical Institute has afforded training for those inclined to pursue technical/vocational courses including out-of-school youths.
At present, the Foundation maintains 40 scholars at the Don Bosco Makati Technical Institute’s Technical Vocational Education Training Center.