The Foreign Scholarships/Training Program (FSTP) is a component of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) extended to the Philippines by foreign donor countries, the objective of which is to enhance the capabilities of institutions in accordance with the national development thrusts and strategies.

The FSTP is planned and negotiated annually with the donors based on the identified training needs of agencies/institutions. It consists of degree and non-degree, academic, non-academic short-term courses and experts.

The Program is administered through the inter-agency body, which is the Special Committee on Scholarships (SCS). The SCS derives its mandate from Cabinet Resolution, dated 6 June 1956, Executive Order No. 129 as amended by 367 and Executive Order 217 and Presidential Decree no 1. The technical and operational arm of the SCS is the Scholarship Affairs Secretariat (SAS) of the National Development Office (NDO), NEDA

The composition of the SCS is as follows:

• National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Chair;
• Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Member;
• Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), Member;
• Civil Service Commission (CSC), Member and
• University of the Philippines (UP) as the present member from the academic community.

The main functions of the SCS are:

• Coordination and administration of foreign training and study programs under the bilateral and multilateral arrangements; technical cooperation programs, including other special programs;
• Formulation of policies, programs and procedures, concerning scholarships availment, scholars benefit and entitlements, return service obligations, application for extension of awards, etc.; and
• Pre-selection and nomination of the Philippine Government official candidates for foreign funded training/study grants.

The FSTP adopts the following sectoral priorities identified in the Philippine Development Plan classification of training programs

• Sustainable Human Development (health and nutrition, education, family planning, employment, housing, social welfare and community development)
• Science and Technology
• Environment and Natural Resources Management
• Regional Development
• Agri-Industrial Development
• Infrastructure Development
• Governance and Institutional Development
• Macroeconomic Policy and Development Financing

The FSTP is composed of academic, long-term and non-academic, short-term programs.

Academic courses are long-term degree courses, which may either be diploma and masters degree programs, the duration of which ranges from ten months to three years. The non-academic courses on the other hand are short-term special programs, which maybe off-the shelf, customized, focused, third country training and in-country, the duration of which ranges from 2 weeks to 8 months.

The FSTP consists of the following:

1. COLOMBO PLAN

• India
• Singapore

2. BILATERAL PROGRAM

1. Covered by Agreements

• Australia
• Belgium
• Federal Republic of Germany
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Spain

2. Technical Cooperation

• China
• Denmark
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Israel
• India
• Republic of Korea
• Malaysia
• The Netherlands
• Thailand
• Pakistan
• Sweden

3. SPECIAL PROGRAMS

• United Nations Agencies
• ASEAN/EC Scholarship Program
• Japan Scholarship Fund for the ASEAN Youth (JSFAY) Program
• and other regional organizations

The target beneficiaries of the Program are officials and employees of government agencies/institutions, the private sector including accredited non-government organizations.

All Filipino citizens employed in either government or private sector institutions including those working with non-government organizations may avail of foreign scholarship grants provided that:

1. The following basic requirements are met:

• must not have pending administrative or criminal charges;
• must be physically and mentally fit to undergo training;
• must have a permanent or regular status of appointment; except for project related-courses;
• must meet the educational requirements of the program;
• must have at least two (2) years of working experience, the last of which is with the nominating institution at the time of nomination; and
• must have no pending nomination for scholarships in another program or has completed the return service obligation from previous scholarship, if any.

2. The nominee meets the SCS pre-selection criteria; and
3. The nominee meets specific donor country requirement.

The general criteria for the selection of a candidate are:

• The field of study where a candidate is nominated to must be related to or in line with his/her current official function;
• The candidates undergraduate course must meet the requirements of the program that he/she is applying to; and
• The academic performance of the candidate in his/her undergraduate course, especially in the core subjects relating to the program being applied for, shall be at least on the average level.

The following are the general procedures and guidelines to be strictly followed:

• The nominee shall be endorsed by the head of agency or organization or his deputy.
• The nomination of candidates from regional agencies shall be coursed through its central office.
• The documentary requirement for nominees

  coming from the Luzon area shall be submitted to the SCS Secretariat, 2^nd Flr., NEDA Bldg., Amber Ave., Ortigas Center, City of Pasig, 1600;

  coming from the Visayas area shall be submitted to the NEDA-Regional Screening Committee, 3^rd Flr., Tanchar-Servitek Bldg., cor. Juan-Osmena Ext.-Escario Sts. Cebu City; and

  coming from the Mindanao area shall be submitted to the NEDA-Regional Screening Committee, Maxima Bldg., J.P. Laurel Ave., Davao City

  before the indicated deadline indicated in the SCS invitation to the agency. These may be sent through regular mail or messengerial pouches.

• The date of personal interview is indicated in the SCS invitation letter. Nominees are required to confirm with the SCS or the Regional Screening Committee (RSC) the exact time two days prior to interview schedule.
• The nominee shall be informed immediately of the results on the same day of interview. Those who pass the SCS pre-selection process shall be required to accomplish and submit to the SCS the donor’s nomination forms and other additional documentary requirements.
• Upon receipt of an Embassy Note Verbale on an acceptance or non-acceptance of a nominee to a scholarship grant, the nominating agency shall be officially informed by the SCS of its nominee acceptance upon the latter’s receipt of notice from the donor’s embassy. The accepted nominee shall then prepare his/her travel documents in coordination with the SCS Secretariat.

The nominating agency shall:

• provide the necessary travel documentation’s of the accepted nominee/s (i.e. issuance of foreign travel order, scholarship/service contract, etc.);
• provide financial entitlements and attendant benefits in accordance with the provisions under Executive Order No. 129, as amended by E.O. No. 367, (i.e. payment of awardee’s salary for the duration of his/her training, clothing allowance, as necessary, and pre-travel expenses); and
• assist the SCS in ensuring the scholar’s compliance with return service obligations and submission of a post training report.

The awardee, on the other hand, shall sign and furnish the SCS Secretariat at NEDA the Scholarship Service Contract prior to his/her departure which provide the following terms and conditions: