DOST-SEI names scholarship qualifiers for fiscal year 2026

Out of 97,617 examinees, only 8,500 or 8.71% successfully qualified for the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) undergraduate scholarship.

Of the 8500 qualifiers, 8108 were named as qualifiers by DOST through a Youtube live stream on May 30, while 392 potential qualifiers are to be emailed.

“Of this number, 5,100 will be part of the RA 7687 Scholarship Program, while 3,400 under the Merit Scholarship Program,” DOST-SEI announced in a press release.

Qualifiers and potential qualifiers are expected to receive emails regarding the Notice of Award, scholarship orientation, and other important instructions.

Despite having the highest turnout of examinees, the number of slots was cut down to a fixed 8,500 this fiscal year due to budget constraints.

“For Fiscal Year 2026, DOST-SEI has been allocated a budget of ₱7.6 billion. This amount will enable the Institute to accommodate 8,500 incoming first-year students while supporting ongoing scholars,” the institution announced.

Through the numbers

This year’s number of passers is a huge decrease from last year’s 10,907 qualifiers, dropping the passing rate from 12.9% to 8.71%.

DOST proposed a ₱11 billion budget to fund its scholarship pograms, but only 7.6% was approved, leading to accommodating a fixed cut of 8,500 new students for 2026.

According to the department, the number of scholarship awards is determined by the allocated budget for the fiscal year. 

Scholarship Benefits

Eligible Science and Technology scholars who are under Private Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) are expected to receive up to 40,000 for tuition and other school fees yearly.

Likewise, a 8,000 monthly living allowance will also be awarded to the qualifiers for the full duration of their regular undergraduate course.

Other perks include a 1,000 one-time clothing allowance, one round-trip economy-class fare per academic year, 1,000 graduation allowance, 10,000 annual allowance for learning materials and internet connectivity, and group health and accident insurance coverage.

The qualifiers will also be given the opportunity to attend various initiatives and programs organized by the scholars association.