TACLOBAN CITY – About 360 college students from the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) received cash assistance from the Commission on Higher Education’s Student Monetary Assistance for Recovery and Transition, or Smart Grant.
CHEd Smart Grant is a one-time assistance by the agency which includes funds for education expenses and cost of living allowance under the National Employment Recovery Strategy aiming to increase the success of students to graduate despite being affected by the pandemic.
The recipients of this grant are indigent incoming first-year college or freshmen students who are enrolled in any higher education institution (HEI) recognized by CHED and are not recipients of any scholarship grant from the government.
Each student received a P25,000 cash grant during the ceremony held last Friday (April 12).
House Minority Floor Leader and 4Ps party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan, ChEd Regional Director Maximo Aljibe, and ESSU University President, Andres Pagatpatan, Jr., led the distribution of cash grants at the ESSU main campus in Borongan City.
“The impact of this initiative goes beyond just the recipients of the scholarship, as it helps to build a more educated and skilled workforce that can drive economic growth and innovation in our country,” said Pagatpatan in his welcome message.
In his message, Rep. Libanan expressed his hopes that the financial assistance given to the students will help them with their studies.
Among those who received were 263 from ESSU Main Campus, 39 from ESSU Can-avid, 33 from ESSU Guiuan, 18 from ESSU Salcedo, and 5 from ESSU Maydolong.
Some students from St. Mary’s College Borongan, and students enrolled at the Eastern Visayas State University and Leyte Normal University in Tacloban City but from Eastern Samar province also received the SMART grant.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
