SM Foundation Scholarship 2026: Requirements and Application Guide

TL;DR: The SM Foundation College Scholarship covers full tuition and a monthly allowance, with paid work at SM during breaks and job opportunities in the SM group afterwards. To qualify you need a GWA of at least 92 percent for the first semester of Grade 12, a total household income of at most PHP 250,000 a year, and you must be an incoming freshman taking accounting, engineering, information technology or education. Private school applicants need a DepEd voucher and must have completed Grade 10 in a public high school. The 2026 online window ran 1-28 February.

Introduction

The SM Foundation College Scholarship is one of the few private grants in the Philippines that pays tuition, pays an allowance, pays you to work during breaks, and puts a career path at the end of it. It is also one of the most tightly defined, and most rejected applications fail on a rule the applicant did not know existed.

This guide sets out exactly what SM Foundation asks for, in the Foundation own terms, and flags the conditions that quietly disqualify people.

What the scholarship covers

Beyond the money, scholars get community and volunteer activities, a network of fellow scholars and SM professionals, and mentoring in their field.

The part-time work component is worth taking seriously. It is paid, it happens during breaks rather than term time, and it produces real retail, finance, IT or operations experience on a CV before graduation — which is more than most scholarships offer.

Eligibility, condition by condition

You have to satisfy all of these, not most of them.

Educational background

• Incoming freshman. No continuing students, no transferees.
• Grade 12 graduate of a public school, or a private school graduate holding a DepEd voucher.
• If you are the private school case, you must also have completed Grade 10 in a public high school. This is the condition that disqualifies the largest number of otherwise strong applicants.
• Alternative Learning System completers are eligible.

Academic performance

• General weighted average of at least 92 percent, or its equivalent, for the first semester of Grade 12.

Note the grading period. The application is assessed on first semester Grade 12 grades, not on a cumulative senior high average and not on Grade 11.

Financial need

• Total household income of at most PHP 250,000 per year, evidenced through documents such as an income tax return, a certificate of employment with compensation, or a barangay certificate of indigency.

Courses covered

The scholarship funds four fields, and only four:

1. Accounting — including BS Accountancy and BS Management Accounting
2. Information technology — including BS Information Technology and BS Computer Science
3. Engineering — including BS Civil Engineering and other engineering programmes
4. Education — Bachelor of Elementary Education and Bachelor of Secondary Education

These map to the SM group own hiring needs, which is why the career pathway at the end is real rather than decorative.

How to apply

Step 1: Check the window

The application is online only, through the SM Foundation scholarship portal. The 2026 window ran from 1 to 28 February 2026. SM Foundation announces the window each cycle, and it has moved before — check sm-foundation.org rather than assuming a previous year dates still apply.

Because the window opens in February, your Grade 12 first semester grades will already be released. Get your report card certified before the portal opens.

Step 2: Prepare your documents

Gather these ahead of the window rather than during it:

• Grade 12 first semester report card showing your GWA
• PSA birth certificate
• Recent formal 2x2 ID photo
• Proof of household income — parents' latest ITR, certificate of employment with compensation, or barangay certificate of indigency
• DepEd voucher documentation, if you are a private school graduate
• Proof of ALS completion, if applicable
• Any additional document the portal asks for in the current cycle, such as a certificate of good moral character or barangay clearance

Step 3: Submit online

• Create an account on the SM Foundation scholarship portal
• Complete the form accurately — an inconsistency between your declared income and your supporting document is a common reason for rejection
• Upload every document in the format the portal specifies
• Submit early in the window rather than on the closing day

Step 4: Screening, interview and validation

After the window closes, SM Foundation screens applications on academic performance, financial need and completeness of documentation. Shortlisted applicants are then assessed further — expect a panel interview about your background, your course choice and your plans, and be prepared for the Foundation to verify your declared financial circumstances directly.

Successful scholars are notified individually, with instructions on orientation and enrolment at a partner school. The Foundation does not publish a fixed month-by-month timetable for these stages, so work from the notifications you receive rather than a schedule you read somewhere.

Retention

Keeping the scholarship is a continuing obligation, not a one-off award:

• Academic standing — maintain the average required in your scholarship agreement, with no failing grades
• Full academic load — carry the normal load each term
• Conduct — no disciplinary infractions
• Participation — attend Foundation enrichment programmes and community activities
• Reporting — submit grades and required documents on time each term
• Break employment — take part in the SM work programme when scheduled

Ask for the exact retention average in writing at orientation. It is the single number that determines whether you keep the grant, and it belongs in your agreement rather than in a blog post.

Partner schools

SM Foundation places scholars at partner institutions rather than at any school of your choosing, and the available partners depend on your region and course. Contact SM Foundation to find out which partner schools cover your area before you build plans around a particular campus. You can shortlist candidate institutions in Manila, Cebu City or Davao City on SchoolFinderPH and then check them against the Foundation list.

How it compares

Only figures published by the foundation that pays them appear below.

For the wider picture, see our list of the top 20 scholarships for Filipino college students.

Tips that actually change the outcome

1. Check the Grade 10 rule first. If you are a private school student who never attended a public high school, the voucher alone will not carry you. Spend your effort on programmes you can win.
2. Match your declared income to your document. The Foundation verifies. Understating or overstating both cause problems.
3. Apply early in the window. The portal takes heavy traffic and a February window is short.
4. Choose the course honestly. You will be building a career in it, and switching out of the four covered fields ends the grant.
5. Do not let second semester slip. Your Grade 12 performance after submission still matters to your standing as an incoming scholar.
6. Have a fallback. Apply in parallel to DOST-SEI, the CHED Scholarship Program and, if you are in the top five of your class or above 95 percent, the new Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program.

Source

• Eligibility criteria, covered courses, benefits and the 2026 application window are as published by SM Foundation on its College Scholarship Program page.

Visit sm-foundation.org when the window opens, and use SchoolFinderPH to research partner institutions in your area first.