Get Up to ₱50,000 to Complete Your Degree as an OFW
If you’re an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who had to leave college to provide for your family, a new government programme can help you complete your bachelor’s degree. The Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have launched the Lifelong Learning Education Assistance Programme (LEAP-OFWs), which offers up to ₱50,000 in educational assistance.
The LEAP-OFWs programme allows applicants to build on their work experience and skills gained over the years, which can be credited towards a college qualification through the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Programme (ETEEAP). This means that OFWs can have their professional experience, training, and acquired skills assessed and recognised as academic learning. CHED and a deputised higher education institution (HEI) will evaluate each applicant to determine which competencies can be credited towards a bachelor’s degree and what academic requirements still need to be completed.
To be eligible for the LEAP-OFWs programme, applicants must be at least 23 years old, have at least five years of relevant work experience, and be either high school graduates or college undergraduates. They must also obtain a letter of acceptance from a CHED-deputised HEI offering ETEEAP before proceeding with the programme. The programme may be availed once a year after returning to the Philippines.
Qualified beneficiaries may receive up to ₱50,000 in educational assistance to help pay for tuition fees and other assessment-related costs. The assistance will be released in two tranches: the first ₱25,000 will be provided after the applicant has enrolled in an approved degree programme, and the remaining ₱25,000 will be released after the scholar submits proof of enrolment for the next academic year or proof that all required academic requirements have been completed.
The application process begins with OWWA, where applicants must submit their request through an OWWA Regional Welfare Office or the OWWA Reintegration Portal. OWWA will verify the applicant’s membership and overseas employment records before issuing a certificate of eligibility to apply (CEA) to qualified applicants. Using the CEA, applicants must register through CHED’s ETEEAP online enlistment system and upload the required documents.
Applicants are required to submit a Philippine Statistics Authority-issued birth certificate, passport, academic records, certificates of employment, and other documents that demonstrate their professional knowledge and skills. Supporting documents may also include Technical Education and Skills Development Authority certificates, company commendations, and other credentials relevant to the applicant’s chosen field of study.
Here are the next steps to apply for the LEAP-OFWs programme:
- Submit your request through an OWWA Regional Welfare Office or the OWWA Reintegration Portal.
- Register through CHED’s ETEEAP online enlistment system and upload the required documents.
- Obtain a letter of acceptance from a CHED-deputised HEI offering ETEEAP.
