STFAP Bulletin for the Alphabetic Bracketing Scheme

Version 1.06 03/09

The Alphabetic Bracketing Scheme (ABS) for the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) or Restructured STFAP will be implemented starting the First Semester, Academic Year 2007-2008.

• Why the Need For a Restructured STFAP?
• Who Can Qualify For Financial Assistance?
• What Do You Need to Know About the Restructured STFAP?
• How Are the Brackets Assigned?
• What Are the Restructured STFAP Brackets and Benefits?
• How Much Are You Going To Pay?
• How and When Can You Apply?
• Where Can You Get the Application Forms and Additional Information?

The UP Board of Regents in its 1216th Meeting on 15 December 2006 approved the increase in tuition and miscellaneous fees and the restructuring of the STFAP. The increase in tuition and miscellaneous fees due to inflation necessitated the adjustment of the benefits of the STFAP to better serve the needs of students who are most deserving of financial assistance.

To qualify for financial assistance, the student must:

1. Be a Filipino citizen.
2. Be a bona fide undergraduate student. Except for Law or Medicine, the applicant must not have a bachelor’s degree. For an incoming freshman or new student, the applicant must have a UP Notice of Admission.
3. Never have been adjudged guilty of any offense that carries a penalty of more than thirty- (30) days suspension.
4. Submit an application form to the designated office of his/her campus and complete the required documentation as specified in the application form.
5. Be in need of financial assistance as determined by the University.

1. The STFAP grant shall be for one academic year, renewable annually.
2. The University reserves the right to determine whether the student deserves financial assistance, as well as the kind and amount of assistance.
3. STFAP privileges will be withdrawn from a student who withholds and/or falsifies information, without prejudice to other penalties that may be imposed by the University. Some students have already been expelled or suspended from the University for withholding and/or falsifying information in their STFAP application.
4. All information supplied by the student will be treated with strict confidentiality and will be for the internal use only by the University.
5. The STFAP Alphabetic Bracketing Scheme will cover incoming freshmen and transferees beginning the First Semester, Academic Year 2007-2008. All other students will still be covered by the existing Numeric Bracketing Scheme (Brackets 1 to 9).

Brackets are assigned based on the information provided by the applicants on the declared family income and other family characteristics and socio-economic indicators. The major difference of the ABS from the existing 9-bracket scheme is the use of a predictive income function that is based on the Family Income and Expenditures Survey and Labor Force Survey that are collected and released by the National Statistics Office. The final bracket assignment considers the bracket requested by the applicant, the reported family income, the predicted income using the income function, other indicators, and other adjustments.

Students who do not apply for STFAP benefits will be assigned to Bracket A or B, depending on the Gross Family Income that they declared when they confirmed their intention to enroll in UP.

Appeals for re-bracketing will be entertained and decided by a committee in each constituent university, based on policies set by a UP System committee.

The STFAP brackets are primarily based on the annual family income and have corresponding fees or benefits.

The standard stipend is currently pegged at P12,000 per semester.

Tuition Fee
The tuition fee per unit for the constituent university or campus is as follows:

Miscellaneous Fees
Miscellaneous fees have been adjusted to reflect the rising costs of maintenance, electricity consumption, Internet infrastructure and access, and library acquisitions.

There are two ways to apply: (1) you can apply online at STFAP Online (http://stfap.up.edu.ph), which is strongly encouraged, or (2) apply manually using the STFAP application form. In both cases, a properly accomplished, signed, and notarized application form will have to be submitted, together with supporting documents, to the designated office in your campus.

Deadlines are announced at the home page of the STFAP Online site. Click here to view the deadlines.

Applications filed later than the deadlines will still be accepted, but there is no assurance that the assigned brackets will be released before the registration period.

STFAP Online: Application forms can be downloaded and printed for free from the following website: http://stfap.up.edu.ph

Printed application forms are available from the following offices at a cost of five pesos (PhP5.00) for each form. Make sure you ask for and receive UP STFAP Form AB-1.

Students in UP Cebu, UP Tacloban, and UP San Fernando may obtain application forms from the Office of the Dean or Office of the College Secretary.

Accomplished, signed, and notarized forms with supporting documents should also be submitted to the same offices.

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