Over 400 college students might lose scholarships

Over 400 college students might lose their scholarships, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said if universities and colleges would provide them with automatic passing rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The scholars could lose their scholarships if they are mass promoted or given an automatic passing mark since CHED uses numerical grades as basis in determining whether the students are eligible to receive financial assistance from the government, CHED chairman Prospero De Vera III said.

“I made it very clear in CHED announcements that while the grading system of HEIs (higher education institutions) are determined and exercised by individual HEIs in the exercise of their academic freedom, any decision to adopt a ‘pass all’ policy must ensure that the interests of individual students are not compromised,” he said in a statement.

“If the HEIs will not give them numeric grades, what will be the basis to determine if the students will get financial assistance from the government?” De Vera added.

The students that could be affected are those under the CHED Merit Scholarship Program (CMSP).

The program relies on the scholastic performance or grades of applicants in the government’s priority degree programs.

The CMSP scholars are required to maintain a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 85 percent or its equivalent if they are a full scholar, or 80 percent or its equivalent if a half scholar, the CHED said.

“CHED has already warned HEIs last June that students who are on merit scholarship and need numeric grades will be severely affected by HEIs that do this,” De Vera said.

CHED said it is giving universities and colleges until Oct. 30, 2020 to provide the numerical grades of the scholars so that these could be evaluated.