The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is calling for applicants in Negros Island Region (NIR) to fill the 212 slots for the Scholarship Program for Coconut Farmers and Their Families (CoScho) for the academic year 2026-2027.
In its announcement on Tuesday, August 4, the CHED-NIR said applications are welcome until Aug. 31 through the official CoScho application portal.
“Those who can apply are deserving coconut farmers duly registered in the National Coconut Farmers Registry System and undergraduate students who are currently enrolled in any CHED-recognized program,” it added.
The NIR covers applicants from Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Of the region’s 212 slot allocation, 80 percent will go to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) identified programs, while the remaining 20 percent will be opened to other fields.
In June this year, the CHED and the PCA issued a joint memorandum circular revising the implementing guidelines of the CoScho.
Based on the revised guidelines, CHED and PCA will evaluate applicants through a more efficient, targeted, and transparent selection process, offering improved and more responsive scholarship packages to qualified beneficiaries nationwide.
For academic year 2026-2027, a total of 10,789 scholarship slots are available under the program, including 3,965 continuing scholars and 6,824 new beneficiaries.
One of the program’s key features is the return service component, which encourages scholar-graduates to apply their knowledge and skills toward advancing the Philippine coconut industry, supporting innovation, productivity, and community development in coconut-growing areas.
According to the CHED, the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to making higher education more accessible to underserved sectors while aligning scholarship investments with national development priorities, particularly in agriculture and rural development. *PNA
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