1.2 Proportion of students receiving financial aid to attend university because of poverty
1.2.1 – Low income students receiving financial aid
* Number of Students
* Number of low income students receiving financial aid
3,090 with scholarships and financial aid / 9.355 enrolled students for AY 2025-2026
Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) recognizes its significant role in addressing poverty and promoting inclusive economic development in Samar, Philippines. Guided by its mandate to provide quality higher education, the university contributes to SDG 1 by empowering individuals and communities through education, skills development, innovation, and livelihood opportunities. For the 1st Semester of Academic Year 2025-2026, NwSSU had 9,355 enrolled students, of whom 2,831 received scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Furthermore, through Republic Act No. 10931, also known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, tuition and 13 other school fees (such as library, laboratory, and computer fees) are covered for students enrolled in the university. This empowers students from low-income households to continue pursuing higher education at the university.
Most of this support came from the CHED Tertiary Education Subsidy (2,613 and 2,527 grantees). Other programmes were the Tulong Dunong Program-TES (144 and 140), the DOST Scholarship Program (44 in both semesters), the CHED Full and Half State Scholarship Programs for Region VIII (4 and 12), ACEF-GIAHEP grants (9) and the Scholarship Program for Coconut Farmers and Their Families (5).
The programmes are coordinated by the Scholarship Coordinator under SAS. The Coordinator links intellectually qualified, underprivileged and indigent but deserving students with CHED, DOST, the Department of Agriculture and other agencies (Student Handbook, Art. XXIII).
1.3 University anti-poverty programmes
1.3.1 – Bottom financial quintile admission target
60% target for 2025, 65% target for 2026, 100% implemented Affirmative Action Policy
– AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM OG RA 10931 FOR STUDENTS FROM MARGINALIZED BACKGROUNDS
In NwSSU’s Strategic Development Plan for 2023-2027, approved through Board Resolution No. 101, s.2022, the university has geared towards increasing access for disadvantaged students, particularly
those benefiting from the provisions of RA 10931 (Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act). For 2025, the university’s set the target to 60% acceptance of students from lower-income households, ensuring that they have opportunities to pursue higher education. This is further supported and stated in the NwSSU Student Handbook, Article 2, Section 3 titled “Affirmative action program for underprivileged/ marginalized students”, which cites equal access to education under RA 10931 and RA 8371 (Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act), NwSSU recognizes the importance of allowing students to attend university despite serious financial disadvantage to promote social justice and inclusivity. The affirmative action policy at NwSSU has been actively implemented with a focus on addressing the needs of poor but deserving students, including children of solo parents, rebel surrenderees, deceased soldiers, and police officers. It also adopts RDC VIII Resolution No. 36, s. 2021, which requires SUCs to advance affirmative action programmes that increase chances to study in college for four groups: indigenous groups, persons with disabilities, students from public schools and students from depressed areas.
1.3.2 – Bottom financial quintile student success
85% target graduation/completion (regardless of household income group)
– Bottom Financial Quintile Student Success
Also stated in NwSSU’s Strategic Development Plan for 2023-2027 is the target graduation/completion rate for undergraduate and graduate programs, which is annually set to 85% graduation/completion regardless of household income group. This is part of NwSSU’s Educational Sustainability and Academic Continuity Plan, which aims to continuously support students and empower them towards completion of their degree. NwSSU supports the completion of studies by scholarship recipients, who are mostly from low-income households, through the Scholarship Coordinator under the Student Affairs and Services Office. The Coordinator keeps an up-to-date list of scholars and grantees and regularly checks their academic performance, so that students at risk can be identified and the controls on student financial assistance are maintained together with the Accounting Office. This arrangement is described in Article XXIII (Scholarship and Student Assistance Program), p. 68, of the Student Handbook.
1.3.3 – Low income student support
Also stated in NwSSU’s Strategic Development Plan for 2023-2027 is the target graduation/completion rate for undergraduate and graduate programs, which is annually set to 85% graduation/completion regardless of household income group. This is part of NwSSU’s Educational Sustainability and Academic Continuity Plan, which aims to continuously support students and empower them towards completion of their degree. NwSSU supports the completion of studies by scholarship recipients, who are mostly from low-income households, through the Scholarship Coordinator under the Student Affairs and Services Office. The Coordinator keeps an up-to-date list of scholars and grantees and regularly checks their academic performance, so that students at risk can be identified and the controls on student financial assistance are maintained together with the Accounting Office. This arrangement is described in Article XXIII (Scholarship and Student Assistance Program), p. 68, of the Student Handbook.
1.3.3 – Low income student support
NwSSU provides support services that help students from low-income families to stay in and finish university. They are coordinated by the Student Affairs and Services (SAS) Office, which oversees the Scholarships and Grants Office, the Guidance and Testing Center and the University Health Center (Student Handbook, Art. XV, p. 51).
Financial assistance is facilitated by the Scholarships and Grants Office and the Scholarship Coordinator, who help poor but deserving students to obtain scholarships and grants (Art. XXIII, p. 68). Food support is provided through the Student and Staff Hunger Interventions, which include food assistance drives, meal programmes and campus gardens (see SDG 2.3.2). The University also maintains student dormitories, and on February 17, 2025, it drafted an operational manual covering admissions, room allocation and security for the dormitory.
1.3.4 – Bottom Financial quintile student support
(1) Student Affairs and Services – Scholarships/Student Financial Assistance, AY 2025-2026
(2) NwSSU Student Handbook 2023 Edition:
(3) TES orientation for grantees (Oct 17, 2024, earlier cycle):
– Towards Free Education: Orientation for Tertiary Education Subsidy Grantees at NwSSU
NwSSU runs a continuing scholarship programme for poor but deserving students through the Scholarship Coordinator, who also keeps a roster of scholars. In AY 2025–2026 the SAS report lists 2,831 grantees in the first semester and 2,741 in the second.
The programmes include the CHED Tertiary Education Subsidy (2,613 and 2,527 grantees) and the Tulong Dunong Program-TES (144 and 140), which are aimed at students from low-income households. Others are the Scholarship Program for Coconut Farmers and Their Families (5 grantees), the DOST Scholarship Program (44), the CHED Full and Half State Scholarships (4 and 12) and ACEF-GIAHEP grants (9). The University also facilitates TESDA scholarships (see SDG 5.3.3).
The University hosts orientations for grantees. At the October 17, 2024 orientation, CHED-UNIFAST staff explained the benefits, eligibility criteria and application process for new TES grantees.
1.3.5 – Low or lower-middle income countries student support
The Northwest Samar State University fully implements the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act 10931), which provides students with free tuition and covers their
other school fees.
1.4 Community anti-poverty programmes
1.4.1 – Local start-up assistance
(1) Progress Through Partnership: NwSSU and KASAMA Seal Pact (Nov 14, 2025):
– Progress Through Partnership: NwSSU and KASAMA Seal Pact
(2) Rooted in Innovation: NwSSU, Bamboo Impact Lab Ink MOA (Jun 18, 2025):
– Rooted in Innovation: NwSSU, Bamboo Impact Lab Ink MOA
(3) NWSSU, DILG Ormoc City, IPGDO Livelihood Initiative (Mar 27, 2025):
– NWSSU, DILG Ormoc City, IPGDO Livelihood Initiative
(4) Extension Office:
NwSSU supports local enterprises and cooperatives through training, technical assistance and extension partnerships. The Extension Office lists Techno-Entrepreneurship and Livelihood and Skills Development among its agenda areas.
On November 14, 2025 the University signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Kapit-Bisig sa Mawacat Association (KASAMA) for the project “Strategic and Sustainability Planning for KASAMA” in Brgy. Mawacat. It aims to refine cooperative strategies, build member capacity and strengthen partnerships with the public sector, and it follows earlier College of Management extension work there on poverty alleviation, skills training and agricultural innovation. On June 17, 2025 NwSSU signed an agreement with Bamboo Impact Lab OPC for the Sustainable Bamboo Resource Optimization and Innovation Program, which covers resource mapping, bamboo processing, training and market development.
Faculty and students of the agriculture programmes also trained members of the Rosalim Agrarian Reform Cooperative in San Jorge on October 11, 2025 in organic farming, vermicomposting and minimal tillage.NwSSU facilitated the provincial workshop that grouped gaps in coconut, bamboo, ube and chili value chains into six convergence initiatives, including climate vulnerability of farmers.
1.4.2 – Local start-up financial assistance
The University has not yet documented cash grants, seed capital or loans for local start-ups.
1.4.3 – Programmes for services access
(1) NwSSU Student Volunteers Gear Up for Deployment as Tara, Basa! Capability Building Concludes (Apr 29, 2025):
– NwSSU Student Volunteers Gear Up for Deployment as Tara, Basa! Capability Building Concludes
(2) Priming for Action: NwSSU Tutors and YDWs Join DSWD’s Pre-Deployment Activity (May 9, 2025):
– Priming for Action: NwSSU Tutors and YDWs Join DSWD’s Pre-Deployment Activity
(3) NUTRILAKAS Outreach Drive (May 27, 2025):
(4) NwSSU College of Nursing Supports Free Medical Mission (Jan 19, 2025):
– NwSSU College of Nursing Supports Free Medical Mission
(5) Community health outreaches 2025 (Bandage Brigade, Pagbalican, Solsogon, Pasiguro Komunidad): see workbook SDG 3, rows 38-43 and SDG 2, row 16
(6) Strengthening Community Resilience: NwSSU, DSWD (Oct 9, 2026):
1.4.4 – Policy addressing poverty
(1) DSWD and Samar Provincial LGU partnership for Tara, Basa! (Apr 29, 2025):
– DSWD and Samar Provincial LGU partnership for Tara, Basa!
(2) 2025 CSO Consultative Assembly and Budget Partnership Agreement: see workbook SDG 16, row 7
(3) Strengthening Community Resilience: NwSSU, DSWD (Oct 9, 2026):
– Strengthening Community Resilience: NwSSU, DSWDÂ
(4) NwSSU Policy Addressing Poverty:
NwSSU takes part in local and national efforts to address poverty. At the local level, the University is a partner of the Samar Provincial Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (2025). Through the 2025 Civil Society Organization Consultative Assembly with local government units and community representatives, it presented its FY 2026 budget proposals, gathered feedback for FY 2027 and formalised a Budget Partnership Agreement.
At the regional level, the University has adopted Regional Development Council VIII Resolution No. 36, s. 2021 on affirmative action in admission (Student Handbook, Art. II, Sec. 3). At the national level, it hosted the DSWD orientation of October 6, 2026 on the Philippine Community Resilience Project, KALAHI-CIDSS and the Sustainable Livelihood Program, and agreed with DSWD to strengthen inter-agency collaboration on livelihood and community resilience.
