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(NAR) VOL. 7 NO. 4 / October-December 1996
[ CSC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 26, S. 1996, November 18, 1996 ]
REVISED GUIDELINES AND OPERATING PROCEDURES ON THE LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (LSP)
Pursuant to CSC Resolution No. 96-7227 dated 11/12/96 the Civil Service Commission promulgated the attached revised guidelines and operating procedures on the Local Scholarship Program (LSP).
This Memorandum Circular supersedes MC No. 20, s. 1995. Other issuances inconsistent with these guidelines are also hereby superseded.
For the information and guidance of all concerned.
Adopted: 18 Nov. 1996
(SGD.) CORAZON ALMA G. DE LEON
Chairman
CSC RESOLUTION NO. 967227
WHEREAS, the Commission established the Local Scholarship Program under CSC Resolution No. 93-299 dated February 4, 1993 and provided for its implementing guidelines;
WHEREAS, after four years of implementation, there is a need to make the terms and conditions of the scholarship clearer and more specific to make the program truly effective and responsive to the needs of its clientele;
WHEREFORE, foregoing premises considered, the Commission, hereby RESOLVES to adopt the attached amended guidelines and operating procedures of the Local Scholarship Program.
This Resolution shall supersede the previous guidelines adopted in CSC Resolution No. 95-5327 dated August 31, 1995.
Adopted: 12 Nov. 1996
(SGD.) CORAZON ALMA G. DE LEON
Chairman
(SGD.) RAMON P. ERENETA, JR.
Commissioner
(SGD.) THELMA P. GAMINDE
Commissioner
Attachment:
On the LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (LSP)
The administration of the Local Scholarship Program (LSP) shall be governed by the following guidelines:
Scope of the Program
The Local Scholarship Program is open to all government employees who want to pursue a one-year masteral degree and who pass the selection criteria established by the Commission for the purpose.
Qualification Requirements
Employees who possess the following qualifications shall be eligible to take the written examination:
— a Bachelor’s degree from a college or university of good standing;
— A permanent status of appointment at the time of filing the application;
— at least two (2) years work experience in government;
— have obtained performance rating of at least SATISFACTORY for the last two consecutive rating periods;
— not more than 45 years old as of last birthday;
— in good health;
— no pending administrative case;
— have not have earned a masteral degree; and
— have not availed of any foreign/local scholarship grant from the government in the past two years prior to the school year employee will study.
An employee who has previously earned masteral units but has not obtained any masteral degree may avail of the LSP grant to complete his/her original masteral course or pursue another course.
Application Procedure
Application forms or their facsimile for the competitive examination shall be available from any Civil Service Commission Regional/Provincial/Field Office. Such forms may be reproduced and are given free to those interested in taking the written examination.
When filing, the applicant shall submit the accomplished form to the nearest regional/provincial/field office of the Commission. The Central Office of the Commission shall not accept nor process any accomplished application form.
The Commission shall accept applicants on a first-come-first -serve basis. No application fee shall be charged.
Award of Grant
— After the employee passes both the written examination and interview, he/she shall be awarded a scholarship grant.
Disqualification of Scholar
— A scholar who accepts an appointment under temporary status before or after enrollment automatically becomes disqualified to avail of the grant.
— In case an employee ho has been awarded a LSP grant but has not yet enrolled is issued a formal charge for an administrative offense, the employee is automatically disqualified to avail of the grant except when he or she is charged only with a light offense.
When the formal charge is filed after the scholar has enrolled, he/she shall be allowed to continue his/her studies unless the offense involved is grave and the evidence of guilt is strong. Moreover, a scholar who is subsequently found guilty of an administrative offense and dismissed from the service, shall refund to the Commission and his/her agency all expenses incurred in his/her studies and salaries received while studying, respectively.
Responsibilities of the Scholar
The scholar shall:
— choose a field of study relevant to the needs of his/her agency;
— sign a scholarship contract with the Commission and his agency covering the terms and conditions of the scholarship; and
— complete all requirements for the masteral degree within one year. This means completion of all academic units, term papers, examinations, and thesis or project/research study needed to earn a masteral degree.
The Civil Service Commission shall:
— evaluate qualifications of candidates;
— administer the written examination;
— rank candidates who pass the written examination to qualify for interview;
— remit directly to the school where the scholar is enrolled the fees charged to regular students in a masteral program. The Commission shall also shoulder other school expenses which are relevant or applicable to the course taken as billed by the school (i.e. laboratory fees, comprehensive examination fee, thesis hearing fee, oral defense, panel’s fee, adviser’s fee, review class fee, et. al.).
However, it shall not pay fees for instructional reading materials and data analysis services since these are covered by book allowance and thesis writing/research assistance already provided by the LSP grant.
It shall also pay honoraria of instructor and tutorial or mentoring fees except thesis adviser’s fee.
Total payments for tuition and other school fees to be covered by the LSP grant shall not exceed P22,500. Any fees in excess of this amount shall be borne by the agency or the scholar himself and/or other donor institutions or persons.
The CSCRO Director may also reimburse to the scholar the tuition/school expenses incurred, provided, that the expenses are actual fees charged by the school to a regular masteral student.
— release payment directly to the scholar to cover book allowance of P3,000 and thesis/research writing assistance of P2,500;
— monitor the scholar’s completion of the course; and
— hold appropriate recognition program for LSP graduates.
— No-Deferment Policy
In case the scholar is not authorized by the agency head to pursue the grant on official time, or he/she decides not to avail of the scholarship for one reason or another, he/she forfeits the privilege of the grant. Availment of the LSP grant can not be deferred to another school year.
In case a scholar is unable to complete the course within one year due to circumstances beyond his control, the grant may be extended by the CSC Regional Director up to a maximum period of six (6) months. However, whether or not the scholar will continue his study on official time during the extended term is addressed to the sound discretion of the agency head.
The grant shall cover the tuition and other school fees of the scholar for the extended term provided that the amount of P22,500 allotted for each scholar has not been fully utilized.
— upon the completion of the course, serve his/her agency for a period of not less than two years for every year of scholarship or a portion thereof in excess of six (6) months.
— submit a copy of academic record or grades to the CSC Regional Offices at the end of each semester/term duly certified by the school registrar or official concerned.
Support of the Agency
When a candidate qualifies and meets all requirements of the program, the head of agency shall:
— exercise full discretion in authorizing the scholar to study on official time for one year;
— relieve the scholar of all duties and responsibilities for the duration of the grant;
— pay the scholar’s salary and other benefits and allowances; and
— shoulder other essential and lawful expenses such as:
However, if there are other allowances given to scholars of agency sponsored scholarship programs the same may be given to LSP scholars of that agency.
The agency head may also give additional tuition/ school fees, book allowance and or thesis/writing assistance in addition to those given by the Commission.
— A scholar may be allowed to postpone his/her enrollment in the second semester/trimester of the same school year. In case of DAP-LSP scholars, he/she shall be allowed to start his/her course in February and/or September of the same school year.
— LSP scholar may be allowed to study and at the same time report to office provided he/she has already completed at least 50% of the total academic requirements or units of his/her masteral course as certified by the university or college. And provided further that the scholar shall be able to finish his/her course within the prescribed period. Otherwise, he/she shall refund all expenses incurred by the Commission for his/her studies.
The scholar is expected to render the required two-year service obligation to the government upon completion of the course.
— If the scholar receives an incomplete grade in a particular semester or term, he/she shall still be allowed to avail of the scholarship grant for the next semester.
— In case the scholar receives a failing grade the scholarship grant shall be discontinued. He/she shall refund all expenses incurred to the CSC and all remunerations such as salary and allowances to his/her agency for the period covered.
— The same ruling shall apply to a scholar who discontinues his/her studies for reasons other than those beyond their control, such as serious illness. The term serious illness means the scholar is incapacitated by illness or disease to report back to the school to study and to his/her agency to work. The scholar may resume his/her studies one he/she gets well in the next semester.
— A scholar who discontinues his/her studies or who fails to complete the course due to his own fault or willful neglect, except those due to illness or health reasons, shall be barred from participating in future LSP examinations or assessment process.
— A scholar studying on official time but who reports to office from time to time, is not required to record his/her time of arrival and/or departure.
This Memorandum Circular supersedes MC No. 20, s. 1995. Other issuances inconsistent with these guidelines are also hereby superseded.
For the information and guidance of all concerned.
Adopted: 18 Nov. 1996
Chairman
WHEREAS, the Commission established the Local Scholarship Program under CSC Resolution No. 93-299 dated February 4, 1993 and provided for its implementing guidelines;
WHEREAS, after four years of implementation, there is a need to make the terms and conditions of the scholarship clearer and more specific to make the program truly effective and responsive to the needs of its clientele;
WHEREFORE, foregoing premises considered, the Commission, hereby RESOLVES to adopt the attached amended guidelines and operating procedures of the Local Scholarship Program.
This Resolution shall supersede the previous guidelines adopted in CSC Resolution No. 95-5327 dated August 31, 1995.
Adopted: 12 Nov. 1996
Chairman
(SGD.) RAMON P. ERENETA, JR.
Commissioner
(SGD.) THELMA P. GAMINDE
Commissioner
Attachment:
The administration of the Local Scholarship Program (LSP) shall be governed by the following guidelines:
The Local Scholarship Program is open to all government employees who want to pursue a one-year masteral degree and who pass the selection criteria established by the Commission for the purpose.
Employees who possess the following qualifications shall be eligible to take the written examination:
— a Bachelor’s degree from a college or university of good standing;
— A permanent status of appointment at the time of filing the application;
— at least two (2) years work experience in government;
— have obtained performance rating of at least SATISFACTORY for the last two consecutive rating periods;
— not more than 45 years old as of last birthday;
— in good health;
— no pending administrative case;
— have not have earned a masteral degree; and
— have not availed of any foreign/local scholarship grant from the government in the past two years prior to the school year employee will study.
An employee who has previously earned masteral units but has not obtained any masteral degree may avail of the LSP grant to complete his/her original masteral course or pursue another course.
Application forms or their facsimile for the competitive examination shall be available from any Civil Service Commission Regional/Provincial/Field Office. Such forms may be reproduced and are given free to those interested in taking the written examination.
When filing, the applicant shall submit the accomplished form to the nearest regional/provincial/field office of the Commission. The Central Office of the Commission shall not accept nor process any accomplished application form.
The Commission shall accept applicants on a first-come-first -serve basis. No application fee shall be charged.
— After the employee passes both the written examination and interview, he/she shall be awarded a scholarship grant.
— A scholar who accepts an appointment under temporary status before or after enrollment automatically becomes disqualified to avail of the grant.
— In case an employee ho has been awarded a LSP grant but has not yet enrolled is issued a formal charge for an administrative offense, the employee is automatically disqualified to avail of the grant except when he or she is charged only with a light offense.
When the formal charge is filed after the scholar has enrolled, he/she shall be allowed to continue his/her studies unless the offense involved is grave and the evidence of guilt is strong. Moreover, a scholar who is subsequently found guilty of an administrative offense and dismissed from the service, shall refund to the Commission and his/her agency all expenses incurred in his/her studies and salaries received while studying, respectively.
The scholar shall:
— choose a field of study relevant to the needs of his/her agency;
— sign a scholarship contract with the Commission and his agency covering the terms and conditions of the scholarship; and
— complete all requirements for the masteral degree within one year. This means completion of all academic units, term papers, examinations, and thesis or project/research study needed to earn a masteral degree.
Role of the Civil Service Commission
The Civil Service Commission shall:
— evaluate qualifications of candidates;
— administer the written examination;
— rank candidates who pass the written examination to qualify for interview;
— remit directly to the school where the scholar is enrolled the fees charged to regular students in a masteral program. The Commission shall also shoulder other school expenses which are relevant or applicable to the course taken as billed by the school (i.e. laboratory fees, comprehensive examination fee, thesis hearing fee, oral defense, panel’s fee, adviser’s fee, review class fee, et. al.).
However, it shall not pay fees for instructional reading materials and data analysis services since these are covered by book allowance and thesis writing/research assistance already provided by the LSP grant.
It shall also pay honoraria of instructor and tutorial or mentoring fees except thesis adviser’s fee.
Total payments for tuition and other school fees to be covered by the LSP grant shall not exceed P22,500. Any fees in excess of this amount shall be borne by the agency or the scholar himself and/or other donor institutions or persons.
The CSCRO Director may also reimburse to the scholar the tuition/school expenses incurred, provided, that the expenses are actual fees charged by the school to a regular masteral student.
— release payment directly to the scholar to cover book allowance of P3,000 and thesis/research writing assistance of P2,500;
— monitor the scholar’s completion of the course; and
— hold appropriate recognition program for LSP graduates.
Miscellaneous Provisions
— No-Deferment Policy
In case the scholar is not authorized by the agency head to pursue the grant on official time, or he/she decides not to avail of the scholarship for one reason or another, he/she forfeits the privilege of the grant. Availment of the LSP grant can not be deferred to another school year.
In case a scholar is unable to complete the course within one year due to circumstances beyond his control, the grant may be extended by the CSC Regional Director up to a maximum period of six (6) months. However, whether or not the scholar will continue his study on official time during the extended term is addressed to the sound discretion of the agency head.
The grant shall cover the tuition and other school fees of the scholar for the extended term provided that the amount of P22,500 allotted for each scholar has not been fully utilized.
— upon the completion of the course, serve his/her agency for a period of not less than two years for every year of scholarship or a portion thereof in excess of six (6) months.
— submit a copy of academic record or grades to the CSC Regional Offices at the end of each semester/term duly certified by the school registrar or official concerned.
When a candidate qualifies and meets all requirements of the program, the head of agency shall:
— exercise full discretion in authorizing the scholar to study on official time for one year;
— relieve the scholar of all duties and responsibilities for the duration of the grant;
— pay the scholar’s salary and other benefits and allowances; and
— shoulder other essential and lawful expenses such as:
— Cost of transportation from the scholar’s official station to the place of school in case the scholar is enrolled in another province or region. Payment thereof to be made at the start and end of school year;Such allowances may be given to LSP grantees subject to availability of funds and the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
— Relocation allowance for the first thirty (30) days, the rates of which shall be in accordance with Executive Order No. 248, s. 1995.
However, if there are other allowances given to scholars of agency sponsored scholarship programs the same may be given to LSP scholars of that agency.
The agency head may also give additional tuition/ school fees, book allowance and or thesis/writing assistance in addition to those given by the Commission.
— A scholar may be allowed to postpone his/her enrollment in the second semester/trimester of the same school year. In case of DAP-LSP scholars, he/she shall be allowed to start his/her course in February and/or September of the same school year.
— LSP scholar may be allowed to study and at the same time report to office provided he/she has already completed at least 50% of the total academic requirements or units of his/her masteral course as certified by the university or college. And provided further that the scholar shall be able to finish his/her course within the prescribed period. Otherwise, he/she shall refund all expenses incurred by the Commission for his/her studies.
The scholar is expected to render the required two-year service obligation to the government upon completion of the course.
— If the scholar receives an incomplete grade in a particular semester or term, he/she shall still be allowed to avail of the scholarship grant for the next semester.
— In case the scholar receives a failing grade the scholarship grant shall be discontinued. He/she shall refund all expenses incurred to the CSC and all remunerations such as salary and allowances to his/her agency for the period covered.
— The same ruling shall apply to a scholar who discontinues his/her studies for reasons other than those beyond their control, such as serious illness. The term serious illness means the scholar is incapacitated by illness or disease to report back to the school to study and to his/her agency to work. The scholar may resume his/her studies one he/she gets well in the next semester.
— A scholar who discontinues his/her studies or who fails to complete the course due to his own fault or willful neglect, except those due to illness or health reasons, shall be barred from participating in future LSP examinations or assessment process.
— A scholar studying on official time but who reports to office from time to time, is not required to record his/her time of arrival and/or departure.