by Al Goodwin L. Yap
Since its establishment in 1955, Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu has strived to provide its students with quality Jesuit education. It offers a learning environment that promotes the academic excellence of its students. Simultaneously, it also aims to instill in its students the value of love and service to the community. Holistic development of its students has always been a top priority of the school. With the guidance of SHS-AdC, Ateneo Hearters are assisted in the development of their drive for growth and personal development. It is truly a blessing for the school and its Ignatian formators to be able to shape the young minds of its beneficiaries with the hope that they may blossom into becoming the influential leaders of the future as they graduate from this institution.
It is undeniable that not everyone can avail of such education for a number of reasons. One notable reason would be due to financial restraints. Bearing that in mind, SHS-AdC sought to find different avenues to be able to assist its current students as well as its potential students in availing of Jesuit education. With the efforts of the administration, SHS-AdC attained accreditation for the Education Service Contracting (ESC) Grant in February 2023. Apart from the ESC Grant, which assists beneficiaries coming from Junior High School, Senior High School students may also receive financial assistance by way of the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP). Both programs provide financial assistance to its beneficiaries through the subsidy amount provided by the government. These subsidies may be combined with other scholarships offered by the school.
The ESC Grant and the SHS Voucher Program are administered and processed by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), which is the trustee of the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE). FAPE is a perpetual fund created to aid private education in the country. Through PEAC, the Department of Education (DepEd) can provide a cost-effective alternative to expansion of public schools by means of service contracts with private schools that would accommodate overflow students from the public schools. This does not only decongest overcrowded public junior high schools but also helps the government in attaining substantial savings.
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Al Goodwin Yap is an office staff of the Office of Admission and Scholarships. He is also an alumnus of the Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu Batch 2019.
