SM Gives Scholarships to 300 Students-Here's How You Can Apply For One, Too

How do you help tomorrow’s leaders rise to greatness? By helping them fulfill their potential with free education. The SM Foundation did exactly that at their recently concluded Rise to Greatness online event on August 27, where they awarded full scholarships to more than 300 college freshmen from underprivileged communities. The students will be granted the funding they need for their courses starting in the 2022-2023 academic year, setting themselves up for lifelong careers in high-demand fields.

Since its establishment in 1993, the SM Foundation Scholarship Program has helped uplift the lives of over 8000 students who had the promise to excel in their college and technical-vocational education, but lacked the financial means to continue their studies. Scholars will be able to pursue degrees in Computer Science, IT, Engineering (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Computer, and Electronics), Education, Accountancy, and Financial Management, making the program a game-changer for both the students and their families.

One of this year’s awardees, Sofia Tolentino, shared how her family wouldn’t have been able to afford her tuition without the grant: “I know that my parents are having a hard time supporting me and my three other siblings with our studies. As four of us are studying—three in college and one in high school—[tuition] burns a big hole in my parents’ pockets, especially now that the transportation fares are constantly rising and everything is becoming more expensive.”

“The SM Scholarship will help me and my family with our financial situation. I can share the money that I will receive from the scholarship with my brothers and sister, which also helps them with their daily allowances,” she added. “Now that all my financial worries are handled by the scholarship, I will be able to focus on my studies and gain knowledge to produce high grades that will help me graduate.

With the SM Foundation’s help, Sofia will be pursuing a Bachelor of Secondary Education, Major in English, with the goal of becoming a teacher.

Yezza Lei Ann Penano heard about the scholarship program through her aunt, who used to be an SM employee, and whose workmates were former SM Foundation scholars themselves. Prior to learning that she was awarded the grant, she’d already made plans to put her studies on hold and start working to save up for her college funds.

“I planned to go to state universities since they don’t have tuition fees,” she shares. “I was very devastated when I found out that I wasn’t accepted at UP. My dream course and dream university slipped out of my hands with just two words that I read when I checked the results, ‘Thank you’!”.

“Luckily, on the day of my high school graduation, I got into NU as an SM Scholar. It really lightened up my mind and gave me hope that I could still have a bright future,” she says. “After all the failures and rejections that I got, winning the scholarship is the best thing that happened to me in years.”

Yezza will now be working towards her lifelong dream of becoming an engineer, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. It’s a tremendous help to her family, where her uncle is the sole income-earner in the household.

Sofia and Yezza are just two of thousands of scholars who embody the vision behind the SM Foundation Scholarship Program. The SM Group’s late founder, Henry Sy, Sr., had always believed that inclusive and equitable education was the great equalizer, and that scholarships were one of the best ways his foundation could help uplift Filipino families out of their difficult financial situations.

If you know a student who deserves a chance at getting a life-changing education, let them know they can apply for the SM Foundation Scholarship Program at this link. They can also follow SM Foundation, Inc. on Facebook for details on when the application period for the 2023-2024 schoolyear will begin.

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