The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) undergraduate scholarships have long served as a beacon of hope for aspiring Filipino scientists, opening doors that might have otherwise stayed locked. Yet beneath this foundation of support lies a troubling reality: persistent scholarship fund delays, convoluted reimbursement processes, and bureaucratic hurdles that weigh heavily on the scholars’ lives.
The aforementioned troubles are not just minor inconveniences; many scholars are forced to make personal sacrifices just to stay afloat—sacrifices that, over time, erode both their well-being and academic performance. If left unresolved, these issues risk undermining the very purpose of the scholarships. For a country hoping to build its future in science and innovation, the next crucial step is to rethink how we support those already carrying that burden.
Strings attached
Despite its esteemed value, DOST scholarship programs distress scholars with recurring concerns, even from the start of the application process. Aspiring recipients are required to submit a slew of documents and complete a challenging examination just to be considered. Once accepted, scholarship retention brings its own set of challenges. Apart from the termly renewal processes, awardees are required to maintain their grades and overall GPA based on a criterion unique for each year level. While many can manage, these still pose an added layer of pressure. The academic grade requirements, in particular, are notably strict, often becoming the main point of stress for students striving to meet them.
Beyond academics, scholars frequently face issues with receiving the benefits promised to them. To some students like Lae*, the monthly stipend of P8,000 often falls short of covering the total living expenses. This shortfall is especially concerning for underprivileged scholars who often rely on the allowance to support their education and daily needs. Adding more to the frustration is the irregular disbursement of these stipends. As Lae shares, “From experience, they usually send the monthly allowance in bulk per term. It never comes monthly.”
Min*, another scholar, echoes this concern and highlights the financial strain these delays can cause: “During Term 2 of the academic year, I had to rely on my parents for all living expenses since the stipends were [only] released during the last week of the term.” She also adds that some of her friends were forced to make unnecessary personal sacrifices just to get by—something that could and should have been avoided had the stipends arrived on time.
Systemic issues
Currently, there are two primary undergraduate scholarships under the DOST’s Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), namely, the Republic Act 7687 (RA 7687) or “Science and Technology Act of 1994” scholarship and the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship Program. RA 7687 is offered to students from families whose annual gross incomes are below the poverty threshold limit and who seek to enroll in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate programs. On the other hand, the Merit program is offered to students who do not meet the financial requirements of RA 7687 and have high aptitude in STEM.
This 2025, the institute selected 10,907 students out of the 95,654 who applied to become recipients of the two scholarship programs. However, after going through a highly competitive selection process, scholars cannot completely reap what they have sown. DOST-SEI has been plagued with systemic issues that directly perturb the scholars’ rights and privileges. The country’s lack of investment in education causes the agency to fall prey to insufficient funding, inevitably delaying the release of the financial aid. In recent years, funding requests to the Department of Budget of Management (DBM) have been unfruitful.
Another barrier disrupting both the institute and its scholars involves the logistics of processing and transferring funds. Once DOST-SEI receives appropriations from the DBM, the funds are then transferred to a university coordinator to facilitate the disbursement. However, for some universities, significant delays are frequently experienced as students often fail to submit the scholarship’s requirements on time.
Given this persistent issue, DOST-SEI is considering sending the stipends directly to scholars’ bank accounts or incorporating DOST representatives in universities to facilitate the distribution of stipends.
Science knows no boundaries
In line with DOST-SEI’s commitment to building the next generation of Filipino professionals in STEM, the institute is eyeing an increase in the number of scholarships by also expanding its priority courses to cover more fields. The scholarship now caters to over 84 undergraduate academic programs and has increased the monthly stipend by P1,000.
These developments demonstrate the institute’s dedication to nurturing Filipino scientific talent. However, offering scholarship programs is only the first step in advancing the nation’s STEM capabilities. Beyond budget constraints, the country continues to face systemic impediments that hinder our potential in science and technology.
Expanding access to quality STEM education and fostering innovation are just the beginning as the DOST-SEI and its scholars strive to become true catalysts for national progress.
*Names in asterisks are pseudonyms.
The LaSallian reached out to DOST-SEI Director Jayeel Cornelio during the development of this article, but he was unavailable at that time. The publication will instead integrate Cornelio’s comments in an upcoming article.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s Marcos Presidency Midterm Special. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSMarcosMidtermSpecial.
