Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) Scholarship Program

If a student is to pass the corresponding school examination, interviews with their parents will then be supervised by the school and ACED personnel. Because the main goal of the university centers on giving aid to low-income families, the ACED offers donor-funded scholarships to the students. Moreover, the K to 12 curricula has caused most high schools to extend their school years from 4 years to 6. Given these added years, the cost of tuition fees has substantially increased. Due to this, donors have generously provided more funds to support the longer duration of their scholars’ higher education. ACED takes meticulous care of each of its scholars, ensuring no obstacles to their studies. Allowances for transportation, uniforms, books, school supplies, extracurricular activities, and food are also shouldered by the donors.

Moving forward with COVID as an obvious barrier to face-to-face interactions, classes have now transferred to online-based platforms. Computer equipment and internet access have never been more crucial to facilitate effective learning and is thus, a requirement for all students.

The success of the program is evident in the numbers. In fact, out of the 48 scholars chosen over 10 years, a total of 14 have completed high school. From this number, 4 have finished their college education while the remaining are starting their undergraduate studies next school year. These students are the result of what can be achieved through the Ateneo Center of Educational Development’s support. As the Philippines is a third-world country, Ateneo has decided to play an active role in improving the livelihood of Filipinos by better educating their youth and creating a concrete platform that promotes vertical mobility for the poor.

The Ateneo de Manila University has always endeavoured to reduce the poverty gap in the Philippines through educational reform in the public sector and the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) was established to give opportunities to impoverished youth. The ACED Math & English Enrichment Program (MEEC), in particular, targets Grades 5 and 6 public school students. Students belonging to ACED partner schools are selected based on their display of potential, as well as endorsements from their teachers. The students are invited to participate in the program with the possibility of pursuing their high school education through scholarship grants in the following schools: Ateneo Junior High School, Miriam and St. Bridget School, all of which are located in Quezon City.

The goal of the MEEC is to adequately prepare the Grades 5 and 6 students for high school entrance exams. The program involves supplemental sessions in Math and English that are held in the Ateneo de Manila campus on alternating Saturdays. Initially, the classes were taught by teachers from the Ateneo High School but in recent years, college students from the Sibol Hesus Foundation handled the sessions. The program is built upon the belief that through adequate academic preparation and guidance, the scholars would be able to finish their high school education and consequently, continue on to university.

MEEC students who pass the high school entrance examinations are invited by ACED personnel to a conference with their parents and are guided throughout the registration process. In line with the goal of the University to extend quality education to youth from low-income families, the ACED facilitates scholarship grants for the students. In line with the K-12 Reform, the scholarship grants for high school students now cover six (6) years. ACED takes meticulous care of each of its scholars, ensuring no obstacles to their studies. Allowances for transportation, uniforms, books, school supplies, extracurricular activities, and food are also provided by ACED through other donors. Given the present situation caused by the pandemic, these needs of the scholars now include computer equipment and internet access.

The success of the program is evident in the numbers. Out of the 48 scholars chosen over 10 years, a total of 14 have completed high school. Of the 14, four (4) have finished their college education and one is now serving as a faculty member in the Ateneo de Manila Junior High School. These students are the result of what can be achieved through the Ateneo Center of Educational Development’s support. Good education is envisioned as a concrete platform that can get poor people out of the cycle of poverty.