OWWA Scholarship: Amounts, Rules and How to Apply
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration · benefits
Quick answer
OWWA's biggest scholarship is EDSP at ₱60,000.00 per school year, open only to the top 1,000 passers of the DOST-SEI examination. ODSP pays ₱20,000.00 per school year on an income test. Short-term training grants run to ₱14,500.00. All are free to apply for.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from OWWA's official published sources: OWWA | Baccalaureate Courses (https://owwa.gov.ph/baccalaureate-courses/, retrieved 2026-08-31); OWWA | Short-Term Courses (https://owwa.gov.ph/short-term-courses/, retrieved 2026-08-31); OWWA | Citizen's Charter 2026 (1st Edition) (https://owwa.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/OWWA_CC_2026v3-1.pdf, retrieved 2026-08-31). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with OWWA before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-08-31.
OWWA runs several education programmes, not one, and they differ by an order of magnitude in what they pay and in how hard they are to win. The headline is ₱60,000.00 per school year under EDSP. The realistic one for most families is ₱20,000.00 per school year under ODSP. Applying costs nothing.
What each programme pays
| Programme | What it pays | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| EDSP, Education for Development Scholarship Program | ₱60,000.00 per school year, until completion of a 4 to 5-year baccalaureate course | Top-scoring dependents entering or already in college |
| CMWSP, Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Program | ₱60,000.00 per year | Priority fields in Science and Technology |
| ODSP, OFW-Dependents Scholarship Program | ₱20,000.00 per school year | Four-year, five-year or associate courses, on an income test |
| SESP, Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program | Maximum ₱14,500.00 per training course | Technical or vocational courses at TESDA, MARINA or other accredited institutions, running 6 months to 2 years |
| SUP, Seafarers’ Upgrading Program | Maximum ₱7,500.00 per upgrading course | Seafarers meeting International Maritime Organization competency standards |
| ITTP, Information Technology Training Program | A 5-day training programme | Internet use and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint literacy |
| ELAP educational assistance | ₱5,000.00 primary, ₱8,000.00 secondary, ₱10,000.00 tertiary, per school year | Dependents of deceased OFW members, eldest child aged not more than 21 |
One programme on OWWA’s own list is closed. UMLC, the Updating Management Level Courses subsidy of ₱7,500.00 for active OWWA member-seafarers holding 3rd and 2nd Mate or 4th and 3rd Engineer Officer ranks, is recorded as implemented from January to June 2017 only. It is listed here because it is still on the OWWA page, not because it is open.
The programmes have long histories. SESP was implemented in 1985, SUP in 2004 and ITTP in 2005.
EDSP: the ₱60,000 one, and why most people will not get it
EDSP is not awarded on need. It is awarded on a national examination.
| Rule | What OWWA publishes |
|---|---|
| Amount | ₱60,000.00 per school year, until completion of the baccalaureate course |
| Course length | 4 to 5 years |
| Selection for freshmen | Through the DOST national examinations, administered by DOST-SEI |
| Cut-off | Only the top 1,000 passers are considered for entry as freshmen |
| Slots for existing college students | 400 |
| Grades required | 80% general weighted average, no failing grades |
| Where you apply | scholarship.owwa.gov.ph |
| Availment schedule | Monday to Sunday, online, during the prescribed application period |
Read the cut-off literally. A thousand freshman places nationally, against the number of OFW dependents entering college each year, is the whole story of this programme. The 400 slots for students already enrolled are a separate, smaller door.
What to submit, from the Citizen’s Charter checklist:
- the online Scholarship Application Form at scholarship.owwa.gov.ph
- proof of grades: Form 137, a certified true copy of Form 138, or a Transcript of Records showing 80% GWA without failing grades
- one valid ID of the OFW member or authorised representative
- proof of relationship to the OFW member: PSA or LCR birth certificate, plus the OFW’s birth certificate if the dependent is a sibling, and the OFW CENOMAR
- proof of enrolment, such as a registration card, official receipt for tuition and other school fees, or the course syllabus
- 2 pieces of 2x2 ID picture with name tag
ODSP: the ₱20,000 one, and the income figure OWWA states two ways
ODSP pays ₱20,000.00 per school year to qualified dependents of OFWs, for any four-year or five-year baccalaureate course or associate course at a college or university in the Philippines.
There is an income ceiling, and this is the one place where OWWA’s own published sources disagree.
| Source | Monthly salary ceiling stated | Read on |
|---|---|---|
| OWWA Baccalaureate Courses page | Not more than US$1,000.00 | 31 August 2026 |
| OWWA Citizen’s Charter 2026, 1st Edition | Not more than US$600.00 | 31 August 2026 |
Both are official OWWA publications and both were read on the same day. This guide does not pick one. If your OFW’s salary falls between the two figures, the answer to whether you qualify is with your Regional Welfare Office, and it is worth asking before you assemble the file.
ODSP asks for more than EDSP does on the personal side. Beyond the online form, the OWWA Membership Record, the ID pictures, a valid ID and the PSA or LCR proof of relationship, the charter lists:
- Form 137, certified true copy of Form 138, or Transcript of Records showing 80% GWA without failing grades
- a Certificate of Good Moral Character
- a Medical Certificate stating the student is physically fit to attend school, if the student has a medical pre-condition
- proof of the OFW’s monthly salary: employment contract, Overseas Employment Certificate, pay slip or similar
That last line is where the income test bites. The OEC guide covers what that certificate is and how to get one, since it doubles as the salary proof here.
SESP and SUP: the training grants
These are the ones with the widest eligibility, because they cover the worker as well as the dependent.
| SESP | SUP | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum grant | ₱14,500.00 per training course | ₱7,500.00 per upgrading course |
| Duration | 6 months to 2 years | Not published as a range |
| Where you study | Schools accredited by TESDA, MARINA and other government training institutions | Accredited maritime training centres and institutions |
| Who may avail | OWWA members in active status and their beneficiaries: spouse, child, or sibling of a single OFW aged 24 years old and below | Seafarer members |
| Repeat availment | Not published | First availment on a single OWWA membership contribution; subsequent entitlements after every 3 recorded payments of OWWA membership contributions |
| Published processing total | 7 days and 13 minutes | Not published as a single total |
SESP’s checklist is short: application form, 2 copies of a 2x2 coloured ID photo, proof of OWWA contribution or membership, PSA or LCR birth certificate for the OFW’s child or sibling, marriage certificate for an OFW’s spouse, and a CENOMAR.
What it costs and how long it takes
The Citizen’s Charter records None as the fee to be paid at every agency step of EDSP, ODSP and SESP. One real cost does appear, and it is not OWWA’s.
| Programme | Published total processing time | Fees to OWWA | Other cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDSP | 14 days | None | ₱50.00 to ₱100.00 notary public fee for the Scholarship Agreement |
| ODSP | 7 days, 4 hours and 20 minutes | None | ₱50.00 to ₱100.00 notary public fee for the Scholarship Agreement |
| SESP | 7 days and 13 minutes | None | Not listed |
The published step timings show where the days go. On ODSP: 10 minutes for auto-queuing of the application, another 10 minutes for the completeness check, 3 days to issue the Notice of Award with the orientation schedule, 3 hours for the scholarship orientation, 1 hour to accomplish the Scholarship Agreement, 1 day to prepare the voucher, and 3 days to release the grant through Land Bank of the Philippines.
On EDSP the shape differs because DOST is in the loop: 5 working days for the Regional Welfare Office to prepare and release examination permits to approved applicants, then 3 working days to issue the Notice of Award once the list of qualifiers comes back from DOST, then 3 working days to prepare the voucher.
If an application is incomplete, ODSP’s charter entry says the applicant is informed to comply with the missing requirements within 3 to 5 working days.
OWWA also notes that the schedule of orientations and trainings varies from one Regional Welfare Office to another, given geography and the complexity of cases.
You need to be a member first
None of this is open to a non-member. The OWWA membership contribution is USD $25.00, and it buys a defined window rather than a calendar year.
| Rule | What OWWA publishes |
|---|---|
| Contribution | USD $25.00 |
| Validity | Active until the expiration of the existing employment contract, or 2 years from contract effectivity, whichever comes first |
| Renewal | On proof of active employment |
| How to join | Compulsory registration when employment contracts are processed, or voluntary registration at jobsites or electronically |
| How to renew | OWWA Mobile App, at overseas jobsites, or through next-of-kin at the nearest Regional Welfare Office |
“Whichever comes first” is the trap. A 3-year contract does not buy 3 years of membership; the 2-year clock runs out first, and a lapsed membership at the moment your child applies is a lapsed scholarship application.
That USD $25.00 also appears on the outbound side, as the OWWA contribution in the DMW fee schedule for direct hire, government-to-government and manual landbased agency OEC processing, which the OEC guide sets out in full.
What this page does not cover
OWWA does not publish, in the sources read for this page, the application period dates for any programme, the number of ODSP or SESP slots, the renewal conditions for a scholarship already granted, the CMWSP application process, or a current status for the ITTP. None of those are stated here. The Citizen’s Charter lists programme contact numbers, including 9566924319 for EDSP and ELAP and 9566924338 for ODSP, SESP and SUP, and OWWA’s published hotline is 1348.
Related
The OEC guide covers the certificate ODSP accepts as salary proof and the DMW fee schedule that carries the same USD 25 OWWA contribution. For the savings side of an OFW’s money, the Pag-IBIG MP2 savings guide covers the voluntary programme, and the MP2 savings calculator will run a monthly amount against a rate you enter.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is the OWWA scholarship?
- It depends which one. EDSP pays ₱60,000.00 per school year for a 4 to 5-year baccalaureate course. ODSP pays ₱20,000.00 per school year. CMWSP pays ₱60,000.00 per year for priority fields in Science and Technology. On the short-term side, SESP pays a maximum of ₱14,500.00 per training course and SUP a maximum of ₱7,500.00 per seafarer upgrading course.
- Who can apply for an OWWA scholarship?
- A qualified dependent of an active OWWA member. For SESP the charter is specific: OWWA members in active status and their beneficiaries, meaning the spouse, child, or a sibling of a single OFW aged 24 years old and below.
- Is EDSP hard to get?
- Yes. OWWA states that selection for incoming freshmen runs through the DOST national examinations and that only the top 1,000 passers are considered for entry as freshmen, with 400 slots for those already enrolled in college. The Citizen's Charter repeats the top 1,000 requirement against the DOST-SEI qualifying examination.
- What grades do I need?
- For both EDSP and ODSP the Citizen's Charter asks for a Form 137, a certified true copy of Form 138 or a Transcript of Records indicating an 80% general weighted average without failing grades.
- Is there an income limit?
- For ODSP, yes, and OWWA's two published sources disagree on the figure. The Baccalaureate Courses page says the OFW must receive a monthly salary of not more than US$1,000.00. The Citizen's Charter 2026 says not more than US$600.00. Both were read on 31 August 2026. Confirm the current figure with your Regional Welfare Office before applying.
- Does the application cost anything?
- The Citizen's Charter records the fee for every step of EDSP, ODSP and SESP as None. The one cost that appears is the notary public fee for the Scholarship Agreement, which the charter puts at ₱50.00 to ₱100.00, paid to the notary rather than to OWWA.
- How long does the process take?
- The Citizen's Charter publishes totals: 14 days for EDSP, 7 days 4 hours and 20 minutes for ODSP, and 7 days and 13 minutes for SESP. Those are processing times, not the wait between application periods.
- Do I need to be an OWWA member first?
- Yes. The scholarships are benefits of active membership. The contribution is USD $25.00, and membership stays active until the employment contract expires or 2 years from contract effectivity, whichever comes first.
More OWWA guides
Sources
- OWWA | Baccalaureate Courses, retrieved
- OWWA | Short-Term Courses, retrieved
- OWWA | Citizen's Charter 2026 (1st Edition), retrieved