SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED BY DSAFI
By: Trixie Paula Luceñada
The Dominican Scholarship Assistance Fund Inc. grants three types of scholarships to deserving students of Sto. Domingo, Albay. The following are:
David S. Curry Award
The David S. Curry Award is a prestigious recognition automatically granted to the top-ranking students from graduating public high schools within the Sto. Domingo district, division of Albay. This honor is bestowed upon the Overall Rank 1 students from each of the four public high schools in the municipality: Sto. Domingo National High School, San Fernando National High School, Alimsog Integrated School, and Bical National High School. With this, only four students receive the David S. Curry Award each year.
Named after Atty. David S. Curry, the prime benefactor of the Dominican Scholarship Assistance Fund, Inc. (DSAFI), this award embodies his commitment to improving the lives of the Domingueños. Atty. Curry dedicates his time and resources to providing hundreds of students with essential support, including financial assistance, enriching training programs, Wi-Fi access, printing services, community engagement opportunities, and career enhancement seminars. Awardees of the David S. Curry Award enjoy the same benefits as regular scholars but are exempt from the annual application and screening process conducted by the Board of Trustees and the Office Administrator.
Regular Scholars
Each year, over 100 applicants strive for a limited number of regular scholarship slots at DSAFI, with only about one-third of them selected, depending on the number of graduating scholars. Moreover, the scholarship application is open to all high school graduates and current tertiary students, provided they are bona fide residents of Sto. Domingo, Albay.
To become regular scholars of DSAFI, applicants must undergo an in-depth and structured on-site interview one by one, which is subject to careful deliberation by the Board of Trustees and the Office Administrator. On average, this selection process takes about a month before a new cohort of scholars is determined. Several factors, such as academic performance, general attitude, and talent, among other qualities a DSAFI scholar possesses, are evaluated to narrow down the pool of applicants to the available slots for the upcoming academic year.
However, DSAFI’s primary mission is to assist low-income families whose children demonstrate potential but face financial barriers to pursuing their educational aspirations. As such, regular scholars receive Php 4,000 in financial assistance each semester, alongside various academic-related privileges, including free printing, access to Wi-Fi, laptops, and educational facilities.
DSAFI remains committed to supporting regular scholars throughout their academic journey until graduation, provided they do not receive additional scholarships exceeding Php 10,000 per semester for SUCs, LUCs, and TESDA students or Php 15,000 for those in private institutions. In cases where they do, these scholars are shifted to Susan Curry Grantees.
Susan Curry Fellowship Grant
Named after the beloved wife of Atty. David S. Curry, the Susan Curry Fellowship Grants are awarded to students who exhibit exceptional talent or skill in the arts, whether they are high school graduates or enrolled in tertiary education. While these grantees do not receive direct financial assistance, they benefit from other academic-related support, including free printing, Wi-Fi access, and laptop and office resources.
This scholarship program was introduced in 2021, inspired by an applicant who demonstrated a keen interest in utilizing DSAFI’s facilities rather than its monetary offerings. Due to the limited number of slots available each year, DSAFI established this alternative scholarship to help students manage their studies and reduce educational expenses related to printing, technology, and internet access. Over the years, DSAFI continues to extend its hands to underprivileged Domingueños by fostering ingenuity in creating more opportunities for the youth.
Although the organization has three types of programs, there is no denying that all scholars have equal opportunities to receive other academic-related assistance from DSAFI. The scholars are free and welcome at the DSAFI office as their study place, which has free internet, air conditioning, free laptops to borrow, and printers for academic purposes. Aside from those, the organization has a few parties to get to know each other, group effort activities to get closer, and plenty of opportunities to create memorable experiences as part of the DSAFI family.