SENIOR High School (SHS) graduates with the highest honors are encouraged to apply for the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program (BPMSP) under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The merit-based scholarship seeks to support high-performing SHS graduates in priority disciplines in higher education, in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

In a press conference, CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said slots are now open for applicants for the incoming academic year.

“There are 20,000 slots given to us for implementation this first semester 2026 – 2027,” she said.

“This is the banner scholarship program of the President that covers the top five percent graduating from senior high school to priority areas or fields that the EDCOM (Education Commission) has identified.”

Agrupis said the BPMSP aims to financially support students, especially those entering hard-to-fill occupations across priority disciplines.

“Ito ay binuo ng ating Presidente para po may target group ng young learners na mag-e-enroll sa mga degree programs na (This was established by our President so there will be a target group for young learners who will enroll in degree programs that are) very hard-to-fill in,” she said.

Priority programs include agriculture and fisheries; creative industries; healthcare and allied programs; engineering and technology; financial services; teacher education; digital technology; and science and mathematics.

Eligible applicants can either pursue the higher education (HE) track or the Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) diploma track.

For those pursuing the HE track, all academic years will be covered until the completion of degree program, which include tuition and other school fees (TOSF) for state universities and colleges (SUCs); TOSF for private HEIs at a maximum of PHP45,000 per academic year; stipend and allowance worth PHP45,000 per academic year for all scholars; and PHP18,000 per term for Top 15 students per region.

Eligible applicants are incoming first-year college students who have graduated from Grade 12, belong to the top 5 of the class, or have a minimum general weighted average (GWA) of 95 percent.

They must not have earned any units or degree in tertiary education, and parents or legal guardians must have a combined annual gross income of not exceeding PHP2,000,000, and must enroll in CHED-identified priority programs.

Interested applicants can verify their email address and start their step-by-step application process via https://bpms.ched.gov.ph/application.

These include e-mail verification, creation of the BPMSP account, filling out of personal information, track or institution selection, uploading of requirements, review and submission, and CHED evaluation. (PNA)