A TOTAL of four hundred twenty four scholars face the risk of losing scholarships due to the ‘pass all’ policy of at least 17 Higher Education Institutions.

The Commission on Higher Education has reportedly called on the 17 HEIs to provide numerical grades to these students so they can continue their education with benefits under the CHED Merit Scholarship Program.

Unlike the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong grants, the CMSP is given to students based purely on scholastic performance or grades in priority degree programs of the government.

CMSP scholars are required to maintain a general weighted average 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 problem was caused by HEIs who did a ‘pass all’ policy in their second semester. I made it very clear in CHED announcements that while the grading system of HEIs 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,” said CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III.

“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,” he added.

The Commission said it has written the presidents of the 17 HEIs to give these scholars and grantees their numeric grades immediately, otherwise, they will lose their scholarships and may need to stop schooling.

“Applicants are ranked based on their Grade Point Average and those with the highest grades get the merit scholarship. 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 asked.

“CHED has given these HEIs until October 30 to provide the numerical grades so that our CHED Regional Offices can properly evaluate the GWA of the scholars and determine their eligibility to continue,” He added.

The 17 HEIs which have CHED merit scholars and grantees but adopted a ‘pass all’ policy are the following:

Saint Mary’s University

Bataan Heroes Memorial College

De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

STI College Rosario

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Cavite State University

Mary Help of Christians College-Salesians Sisters Inc.

Ateneo de Naga University

Partido College

Pili Capital College, Inc.

Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology

University of the Philippines-Visayas

Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology

Mindanao State University- Naawan

Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa, Manila

University of Baguio

Mindanao State University – Marawi