My College Scholarship: Gokongwei or The Government?

Should I be a scholar of Gokongwei or of the government? Should I be a dean’s lister or an ordinary student? Actually, that is the question. Those are the choices. That was what choosing between John Gokongwei and the Republic of the Philippines meant. That was what I had to answer when I was given the rare experience of having two scholarships to choose from.

After my graduation from high school, my mother brought me to the office of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to apply for a scholarship. I think my parents were capable of paying for my college education because my father worked as an accountant and my mother earned income from selling fashion jewelries and financing purchases of appliances and furnitures from mini components to rice cookers and closets to chairs and anything in between. However, college education is really that expensive that any means of bracing for and reducing its impact on the finances of the family will be a lot of help. This is especially so because, again, there will be two of us children who will be in college. The last time was when my elder brother entered college, joining our elder sister.

Scholar Siblings

As I entered college, my elder brother was already into his third year at university. A scholarship for me meant that the financial performance of my family will be maintained. My brother was also a scholar but was not able to maintain it starting his second year. When he entered university, our elder sister was already in her fourth year which is the final one and was poised to complete her degree as both a partial academic scholar and working student checking examinations. She did so, Cum Laude.

Missing a Government Scholarship

When my mother and I first went to the CHED office, applications for the Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA) were no longer accepted. It is the widest reaching scholarship program of the government. If I recall, it appeared as though I could no longer have the chance to apply for any scholarship as nobody offered help in finding other scholarships there in CHED. However, my mother thought of thinking of people she knew who can help us. Her college professor Dr. Eladio Dioko (doctor of education) came to her mind. He was either in the CHED or in the Department of Education. We looked for him.

Another Shot at It

Dr. Dioko referred us to the State Scholarship Program which is the full scholarship cousin of the PESFA. Compared to the PESFA which is not a full scholarship as its last letter is A stands for assistance, the SSP is a full scholarship with a semestral allowance for scholars. So from missing the chance for a good deal, we were in for a probability of landing a better deal. However, just like some kind of an unwritten law to maintain balance, the SSP has limited slots compared to the PESFA. We just had to take the chance. The risk of not making it is high but the rewards of making it are also high. We just had to take a shot at it.

We brought my requirements and credentials to CHED for me to be included in the screening and ranking of candidates. When the results came out, there were good news and bad news. I was ranked 3rd among the applicants who came from the cities and municipalities of Cebu. However, there are only two slots given every year. So we went home empty-handied. My next hope is applying for a scholarship at the Scholarship Office in the University of San Carlos where I intend to enrol. The office facilitates the screening and matching of students to scholarships and successful applicants’ availment of them.

Winning a Corporate Scholarship

So my elder sister accompanied me to USC to apply for a scholarship. I submitted the requirements and some credentials and took a test. Classes have already started and I have yet to know any result of my application for a scholarship in the university. Then one day, as I entered the school lobby, students were crowding the bulletin board facing the entrance. Curious of what big news there was, I took a peek to the board from behind those already surrounding it. It was an announcement of the list of students who were awarded scholarships. My name was there.

I got a scholarship sponsored by John Gokongwei. In it, all my expenses from tuition to books will be covered and I will be guaranteed employment of at least two years if I graduate as a scholar. Being such a scholar also means that I will be a dean’s lister. I needed to get an overall grade of not lower than 1.7 every semester to maintain the scholarship. It meant that if I will be able to complete my course as a scholar, I will have a very good scholastic record which is an advantage in the job market. Further, it can mean that I will have a very high probability of passing the licensure examination for Certified Public Accountants. All of which are really tall orders. But I still do have the potential to achieve them, at least “on paper.” But there is a great deal of uncertainty. Unlike back in high school and elementary, I no longer have the passion to excel in my studies. But I have no choice; I need to accept the scholarship and try.

A Government Scholarship for Me?

Until just a few days after, I received a letter from CHED. It said that the slots for the State Scholarship Program had been increased from the usual two every year to three for that year and that I am awarded that expansion spot for being ranked third among the candidates. As mentioned, the SSP is a full scholarship with a semestral stipend. It asks for only an overall grade of 2.5 every semester for it to be maintained. If I choose it over Gokongwei, it will be easier to maintain. However, it means that I will be wandering away from aiming to be a dean’s lister, or striving to become an honor graduate and be highly job-marketable.

Which Did I Choose?

After one class, a classmate who is a PESFA scholar approached me. He congratulated me for being awarded a scholarship through the university’s scholarship office. Having earned a corporate scholarship is a great honour. Earning it is a recognition of your intellectual talent. Being part of that list that meets people at the lobby is truly an honor. I smiled at him and said thanks for the congratulation he gave me. I walked away with the same smile on my face and congratulated myself for making a choice which I believe (until now) was (and is) the best for me. Yes, I chose the surer choice. I chose the one which involved the lesser risk. I chose 2.5 over 1.7. I chose to be an ordinary student. I chose the government over John Gokongwei.