The Scholarship for Graduate Studies- Abroad (SGS-A) is created to develop niche and priority program areas that remain unavailable or underdeveloped in the country. These are intended for Filipino faculty and staff who wish to pursue graduate studies abroad but remain constrained by a lack of support for taking qualifying tests and resources for living expenses.
There are three types of scholarships under the said program namely: Partial Support, Full Support, and Start-up Grants.
Partial support is for those who have already gained admission to a reputable college or university abroad and would like to secure assistance for living allowance. Currently, there are 92 partial-support scholars around the globe.
The Full Support is being implemented in partnership with top-ranking universities abroad and international organizations to create joint scholarship programs exclusively for Filipino higher education teaching and non-teaching personnel. Right now, the Commission has 149 full-support scholars.
Lastly, the third type of support that falls under the SGS-A is the Start-up Grant. Through this, qualified applicants who intend to take qualifying tests and apply for foreign graduate studies are being given funding. Actual costs of tests are being covered. These tests may include but are not limited to: Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and Japan Language Proficiency Test. There are 36 scholars who have been approved for the start-up grants.
Table A: Number of Approved SGSA Grantees Per Grant Type