Department of Science and Technology (DOST) scholars from UP Diliman (UPD) finally received the remainder of their second semester stipend, but only after an over two-month delay, leaving those dependent on the scholarship struggling to make ends meet. 

The Science and Technology Scholarship Program provides cash assistance for qualified students enrolled in a priority science, mathematics, and engineering degree program. The stipend consists of an P8,000 monthly living allowance and additional allowances for other expenses, totaling P45,000 per semester.

Stipends for May and June were only deposited to UPD scholars on June 25, save for some who submitted their requirements late, according to the UP DOST Core Group, a liaison office between UPD and DOST. The group is currently working on the list of remaining scholars. 

The UP DOST Core Group facilitates stipend disbursement and monitors compliance to the academic performance parameters of DOST scholars from UPD. Scholars are required to submit to the group a periodic report form and a true copy of grades from their college.

To maintain the scholarship as a UP student, the grantee must not fail any academic subject and must maintain a 2.75 general weighted average for their first two years and a passing grade in all academic subjects from third to fifth year. 

The DOST-Science Education Institute (SEI), which oversees the scholarship program, released the budget for the stipend in two tranches for this second semester, said the UP DOST Scholars’ Association (SA). This is contrary to its practice before to distribute a whole semester’s worth at once.

Disbursing the stipend in one go has been DOST-SEI’s norm, despite these allowances being allocated for monthly expenses. 

The first tranche, covering three months of stipend, was already distributed as soon as two weeks after scholars submitted their requirements.

Starting April, the core group regularly contacted DOST-SEI for updates on the second tranche of stipend. But it was only on May 20 that the core group finally received an update that the budget request for the stipend was already at the DOST-SEI cashier.

By June 17, the core group reported that DOST-SEI finally sent the budget to the UPD Accounting Office, who could only then issue disbursement vouchers. This leg of the disbursement at the office typically takes an additional two to three weeks.

Though scholars have come to expect delays in the release of the stipend, this is a rare case as the semester had already ended before the stipend was released, noted Keanu Guerra, DOST scholar and president of UP DOST SA.

“Because of the delays, napaka-stressful isipin yung financial constraints ng how to live every day … or even, at some point, how we can commute kahit P11 lang yan,” said Guerra. Some scholars even reported to the SA that they were about to be evicted from their current residences due to inability to pay rent, he added.

The core group told the Collegian that it does not know the exact cause of the delay, as they only rely on DOST-SEI for the distribution schedule of the stipend. The Collegian emailed DOST-SEI and called over five times last week to inquire about the delay but has received no response as of writing.

In the Commission on Audit (COA) 2021 audit report of DOST-SEI, it did not flag the agency for delayed stipend issuances, but it did point out that its process could be streamlined further. 

“Management agreed to require the … accountant to explore opportunities for automated systems among concerned parties … and the scholars themselves in the submission of documentary requirements to directly release the allowance to scholars and to fast track monitoring of status of scholars and eliminate redundant functions,” state auditors wrote.

However, the submission of documents is not the only factor that contributes to the uncertainty of scholars’ stipends: Rigid grade requirements to maintain their scholarship also leave these students teetering on the line of financial instability.

But while these other concerns are yet to be addressed, the most immediate action that scholars like Guerra ask for is stable communication between DOST-SEI and the scholars themselves, so students can at least be informed of these possible delays and when to expect their stipends. 

“We have different paths as students and scholars. There are a lot of people who are also challenged with financial constraints. I hope that [DOST-SEI] will address this misfortunate timing … and its plans for the future,” said Guerra. ●