Children and dependents of OFWs can take advantage of a variety of scholarship programs provided by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). There are some regular education and training programs while there are also some special scholarship projects depending on the current situation. Whether it is a regular or special project, it is important to verify your OWWA status online and make sure you have an active membership so you can make the most of your account. In this post, we share details on OWWA scholarship qualifications and requirements to learn how you can apply.
Many overseas Filipino workers work abroad to earn money so they can make a living and support their children financially. These OFWs also want to provide sufficient money for their children’s education. It can be difficult especially during challenging times how to pay for tuition fees at school. Luckily, there are options an OFW can take advantage of, like benefiting the scholarship program provided by OWWA.
A scholarship program will grant beneficiaries/dependents of active OWWA members who intend to enroll and finish a 4-5 year baccalaureate course in any preferred colleges/universities.
Also Read: President Duterte Announces OFW Welfare as Top Priority
List of OWWA Scholarships and Training Programs
In case you are wondering about the scholarship education and training programs by OWWA, please check out this list below:
- Country-Specific Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS)
- Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program (CPDEP)
- Seafarer’s Upgrading Program (SUP)
- Mariner’s Dugtong Aral Program (MDA)
- Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP)
- OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP)
- Skills for Employment Scholarship Program (SESP)
- Educational Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP)
- Tabang OFW – special project during pandemic
- Project EASE – special project during pandemic
How to Get a Scholarship from OWWA for Children of OFWs
The Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) The scholarship program will be in a the form of financial assistance amounting to a maximum of 60, 000 pesos per school year.
Eligibility:
- The scholarship grant can be applied to an active OWWA member, once per family
- The dependent applicant must not have any other active scholarship
- The dependent-applicant has not previously taken the EDSP qualifying examination and any post-secondary/vocational or undergraduate/college units
Qualifications:
- The member-OFW must have an active membership with OWWA at the time of the application
- The dependent-applicant must not be more than 21 years of age
- The dependent-applicant must have an average grade of at least 80% and belongs to the upper 20% of the 3rd year/high school graduating class
- The dependent-applicant must pass the qualifying examination conducted by DOST and belongs to the top 200 examination passer
- The dependent-applicant must pass the College Admission Test of the university he/she intends to enroll
Requirements:
- Accomplished EDSP Application Form (2 copies)
- 2×2 ID Photos (2 copies)
- Birth Certificate authenticated by PSA
- Certificate of Good Moral Character
- Form 137 for incoming first year college or Transcript of Records or Certificate of Grades for those already enrolled in college
- Certification from the principal that the applicant obtained a general weighted average (GWA) of 80% and that he/she belongs to the top 20% of the graduating class
Other Reminders:
- Filing of application starts every June of each school year. Deadline for submission of application is every first week of August of each year or as prescribed by ROCS based on the scheduled qualifying exam conducted by DOST
- An applicant must be 4th year high school student and belongs to the graduating class at the time of the application
- Application with incomplete documentary requirements will not be accepted
- Applications are subject for review and further verification as to the documentary requirements submitted
- Application approval only identifies applicants who are qualified to take the national competitive exam conducted by DOST. Examinees who belong to the top 200 passers will qualify for the scholarship
For more details, you can visit the website of OWWA here – http://www.owwa.gov.ph
What is OWWA Country-Specific Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS)?
PDOS, according to OWWA, is a one-day mandatory orientation for OFWs. This seminar talks about employment contracts, OFWs’ country of destinations, what life would be like abroad, health and safety, financial literacy, travel tips, airport procedures, and other governmental programs and services. This program is mandatory and attended by all workers regardless of their skills.
The main requirement here is you being an OFW soon. Before you fly abroad, it is required that you attend this seminar. After that, you will have a record with OWWA that you attended the said seminar.
What is OWWA Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program (CPDEP)?
CPEDEP is another training program required for OFWs who are going to work abroad as domestic workers (DW). It has language training, stress management, and culture familiarization that will take about four to six days of seminar or training.
During this training, workers are provided with basic instructions about the language they are going to use in the country where they are going, the culture of the country, and other useful information that will help them adjust to the new country.
The main requirement here is that you are a departing OFW whose job is a domestic worker. Although OWWA doesn’t say that this training is mandatory, it is good to attend this since it’s a comprehensive one. It’s additional to PDOS.
What is OWWA Seafarer’s Upgrading Program?
SUP is a scholarship program initiated by OWWA. To define this briefly, it’s job-related training that can give financial assistance up to P7,500. The minimum assistance in this scholarship is P1,200. However, this is only available for OFW Seafarers who want to upgrade their skills and become more experts in the field.
The requirements for this program according to OWWA are the following:
- Proof of OWWA membership
- Accomplished Application Form
- Seafarer’s Identification & Record Book and/or Passport (valid original copy)
- 2”x2” photo (2 copies)
Those who can avail of the said program are OFW Seafarers and active members of OWWA. The beneficiaries of the OFWs who qualify can also avail of the said scholarship provided that the member pays three more contributions and that the training is availed within the specified period of time.
The amount of P1,200 to P7,500 is already inclusive of meals, transportation, and other allowance during the training.
What is OWWA Mariner’s Dugtong Aral Program (MDA)?
The Mariner’s Dugtong Aral Program by OWWA is a bridging program and scholarship grant for soon-to-be seafarers who have a degree in BS Mechanical Engineering or BS Electrical Engineering and want to pursue a course in BS Marine Engineering.
Qualified applicants must have active OWWA membership, or dependents of OWWA members (inactive or active).
- As per OWWA, requirements for the MDA program include the following:
- Transcript of Records
- Birth Certificate / Proof of Relationship to the OFW.
- No other scholarships with OWWA or other non-government organizations
What is OWWA OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP)?
OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP) is a scholarship program by OWWA wherein the agency gives P10,000 to an OFW’s dependent every school year. If you are an active member of OWWA whose salary is not more than US$600, then your dependent might qualify for this program.
According to OWWA, the following are the requirements when applying for this program:
- Accomplished Application Form (2 copies)
- 2×2 ID Photos (2 copies)
- Proof of relationship to OWWA member (e.g PSA or Local Civil Registry (LCR)-authenticated birth certificate and certificate of no marriage if OFW is single)
- Form 137 for incoming first-year college or Transcript of Records or Certificate of Grades for those already enrolled in college
- Medical certificate/clearance from any DOH-accredited hospital/center/clinic
- Certificate of good moral character issued by the principal/guidance counselor
- Accomplished original copy of the Scholarship Agreement
What is OWWA Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP)?
Education for Development Scholarship Program or EDSP is another scholarship program that offers P60,000 per school year for those OFWs with dependents who pursue 4-5 years of baccalaureate course in their preferred universities or colleges. OWWA has qualifications for both incoming freshmen and/or 2nd to 5th year.
For the incoming freshmen, the following are the requirements:
- The member-OFW must have an active membership with OWWA at the time of the application.
- The dependent applicant must be single and not be more than 21 years old
- Must have an average grade of at least 80% and belongs to the upper 20% of the graduating class
- Must pass the qualifying examination conducted by DOST and belongs to the top 400 examination passer
For 2nd to 5th-year college students, the following are the requirements:
- Single
- Not more than 30 years old
- With a GWA not lower than B letter grade or 85% equivalent in all academic and non-academic subjects during the last school year attended in a full load.
What is OWWA Skills for Employment Scholarship Program (SESP)?
Skills for Employment Scholarship Program or SESP is also a scholarship program offered to the dependents of OWWA members. In this program, OWWA partnered with TESDA to make this scholarship possible. If the dependent of the OFW will take a one-year course, the financial assistance is P14,000. If the dependent will take a six-month course, the financial assistance is P7,250.
The requirements to qualify for this program are:
- Accomplished application forms (2 sets)
- 1″x1″ ID pictures (2 copies)
- Form 137/HS Report Card or Transcript of Records/ official copy of grades
- Proof of OWWA Membership: official receipt of OWWA contribution/OFW E-Card
- Proof of relationship to OWWA member if the beneficiary is a relative(e.g. copy of marriage contract and/or birth certificate of both OFW and applicant- dependent duly certified by the Local Civil Registrar)
- The OFW must be an active OWWA member.
- Must pass the TESDA qualifying examination or Multiple Aptitude Battery Test (MABT)
- Have contributed at least 1 membership fee.
What is OWWA Educational Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP)?
Educational Livelihood Assistance Program or ELAP is a program providing scholarship assistance to the dependents of OFWs who are members of OWWA. This program is especially made for dependents whose OFW relatives died or convicted with death penalty abroad. The program hands P5,000 allowance for elementary, P8,000 for high school, and P10,000 for college. This is only given to one child for OFW and usually, the eldest child receives the scholarship.
What is OWWA Tabang OFW?
OWWA and DOLE came up with a couple of programs in the midst of the pandemic. One of those is Tabang OFW, a scholarship program for the dependents of OFWs who got repatriated, displaced, or diseased during the pandemic. The financial assistance given to qualified beneficiaries is amounting to 30,000 pesos.
The qualifications for this program are the following:
- You must be an OFW who got displaced or repatriated in the midst of the pandemic.
- You have an OFW relative who died during the pandemic (this is in place of the first qualification).
- You have a child, a sibling, or a niece who is single, under the age of 30, and currently on college.
If you meet the qualifications, your beneficiary can avail of this program to help finance his/her college tuition fees.
The requirements to apply for Tulong OFW are the following:
- The dependent is a Filipino citizen
- He/she is qualified to be admitted to college
- He is enrolled in college
- Have not availed of any of the scholarship programs by OWWA yet.
What is OWWA Project EASE Program?
The Educational Assistance through Scholarship in Emergencies (EASE) Program is an assistance program that is made to help OFWs and their dependents who are in college. This is basically financial assistance for college children of OFWs to help them continue their education despite the impact of the pandemic on their livelihood.
The EASE Program can provide P10,000 every year for a maximum of 4 years to those who qualify for the program. Usually, the dependents of active members of OWWA are prioritized. So, to make sure your dependents qualify for the program, you have to be an active member of the agency. The active membership status should start on February 1, 2020, during the time when the pandemic hit.
According to OWWA, the following can qualify for the program:
- An active OFW-member who can be land-based, sea-based, or from Balik Manggagawa at the time of his/her repatriation from February 1, 2020, or the start of the outbreak of COVID-19 up until the pandemic is managed by the World Health Organization (WHO) or any other competent authorities.
- The child of a married or single OFW
- The sibling of a single OFW
Once you meet the qualifications, the following requirements are needed to be submitted:
- Duly accomplished application form. You can download the form here: ease.owwa.gov.ph
- Valid passport
- Official receipt of OWWA membership. This will be used for validation.
- Flight ticket of boarding pass or arrival sticker attached to the passport as evidence of your return to the country from February 1, 2020.
- Certificate of grades of the dependent
- Proof of relationship of the OFW and the dependent. It can be the birth certificate of the child if the OFW is single or married, or CENOMAR of the OFW and the birth certificate of the sibling of OFW if the OFW is single.
Summary
As an OFW, it is important to be aware of your OWWA benefits and maximize them. Apply for these scholarship and training programs for you and your dependents.
We know how essential it is for OFWs to avail themselves of the financial and educational assistance programs of OWWA. All OFWs who are members of the said agency are entitled to such programs. If you think you are qualified, you should not hesitate to claim the benefits you are entitled to. Your dependents can also benefit from your membership. You can avail of the scholarship programs OWWA has so as to help your kids or siblings to pay for their tuition fees in college.