By the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has clarified that any high school graduate with exceptional academic performance is eligible to receive the Presidential Merit Scholarship.
"At bilang natatanging pagkilala, gagawaran natin ng Presidential Merit Scholarship ang mga high school graduate na makakakuha ng matataas na honor." the President said on his SONA.
In a press briefing, CHED Secretary Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis emphasized that the scholarship is part of the Free Higher Education Law and is available not only to the poorest of the poor but also to students from middle-income families.
Presidential Merit Scholarship ni Pang. @bongbongmarcos, hindi limitado sa poorest of the poor — @PhCHED | RH 14 @leth_narciso, DZRH News #Breaktime
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) July 30, 2025
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Dr. Agrupis mentioned that the scholarship will be available to the top graduates from nearly 12,000 senior high schools across the Philippines.
“Kahit saang eskwela ka pribado o government universities, basta nandoon ang iyong gusto at natanggap ka sa paaralan na ito, tutustusan po ng gobyerno.” Dr. Agrupis said.
Additionally, Secretary Agrupis highlighted that students who qualify should be prepared to pursue courses in hard-to-fill sectors such as medicine, health, agriculture, fisheries, digital technologies, and AI.
