Central Luzon - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Central Luzon has added 357 third-year college students to its scholarship program. The new scholars, who passed the Junior Level Science Scholarships (JLSS) qualifying exam in August 2023, will receive financial support for their education in science and technology fields.
According to Philippines News Agency, Marites Batac, head of the DOST-Central Luzon Scholarship Unit, announced that the qualifiers would soon receive a notice of award outlining their orientation on scholarship policies and the scholarship agreement signing. The scholars are entitled to a monthly stipend of PHP7,000, an annual connectivity and book allowance of PHP10,000, a tuition fee of PHP40,000 for those studying outside their region, a PHP10,000 thesis allowance, and group health accident insurance, among other benefits.
The JLSS offers three types of scholarships: the merit scholarship under Republic Act (RA) 2067, the S and T Scholarship Act of 1994 under RA 7687, and the Fast-Tracked S and T Scholarship Act of 2013 under RA 10612. Graduates under RA 2067 and RA 7687 are expected to serve the country in their specialization fields, while those under RA 10612 will teach STEM and non-STEM subjects in public and private senior high schools.
Batac highlighted the success of the program, noting that 123 of the 341 graduating DOST scholars in the region earned Latin honors in the 2022-2023 school year. Angelo Jacobo, a summa cum laude graduate from Bulacan State University and a top performer in the 2023 electronics engineering licensure exam, and Joshua Maniti, a cum laude graduate from Tarlac State University who placed third in the same exam, were among the distinguished graduates.