The Government Service Insurance System said Tuesday it will provide grants to 1,000 college freshmen for the 2026-2027 academic year through a new subsidy program designed to strengthen national economic competitiveness.
The GSIS Subsidy for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Program will award each grantee an annual subsidy of P15,000 to assist with educational expenses.
The initiative aims to support 4,000 students over 4 academic years through 2030, with a total budget allocation reaching P240 million by 2034.
The program aligns with the economic agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has identified innovation as a primary factor for national survival.
GSIS president and general-manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso said the subsidy is a direct response to the call for a technologically proficient workforce and aims to build a talent pipeline to drive future innovation.
Eligibility is limited to children of active GSIS members and permanent total disability pensioners under 60 years old.
To promote inclusivity, the agency will reserve 200 of the 1,000 annual slots for children of solo parents, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities.
The GSIS will prioritize applicants whose parents have the lowest pension amounts or salary grades of 15 and below.
Qualified nominees must be incoming first-year college students enrolled in a STEM course at a Philippine institution recognized by the Commission on Higher Education. Applicants must also have a senior high school general weighted average of at least 90 percent.
The new focus on STEM fields represents a strategic shift for the GSIS educational assistance program, which has benefited nearly 28,000 grantees and expended P836 million since 1998. The application period for the new subsidy program is scheduled to begin June 30, 2026.
