GSIS to launch STEM subsidy program

THE GOVERNMENT Service Insurance System (GSIS) will launch a new educational assistance initiative for children of active GSIS members pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses.

To be launched this month, the GSIS Subsidy for STEM Program is open to children of GSIS active members with permanent employment status, Salary Grade 15 and below, and updated premium payments for the last three months, the state-run insurer said in a press release on Tuesday.

Eligible nominees must be incoming first-time college freshmen who obtained a general weighted average of at least 90% in senior high school and are enrolled in identified STEM degree programs.

The GSIS will grant P15,000 per academic year to those qualified for educational expenses.

GSIS has allotted 1,000 slots nationwide, with 20% reserved for applicants from special sectors, including Indigenous Peoples, solo parent families, Persons with Disabilities, and other qualified groups.

“Through the GSIS Subsidy for STEM Program, we want to help our members’ children achieve their dreams and become the next generation of scientists, engineers, technologists, and innovators who will contribute to the development of the Philippines,” GSIS General Manager Jose Arnulfo Wick A. Veloso said. — Aaron Michael C. Sy