FEDERATED ALUMNI ASSOCIATION – The Federated Alumni Association Inc., in a meeting on March 8, has finalized the guidelines for the implementation of the Alumni Financial Assistance Program (AFAP) to help new graduates slated to take the board exams and graduating students required to conduct research.

The program was conceived to respond to the need of supporting financially incapable graduates and students of the university.  Originally named Student Assistance Program (SAP), this was launched Jan. 13 during the Alumni Day which was part of the MMSU foundation anniversary celebration.

Qualifications of a beneficiary

Interested graduates and students may apply for the financial support by filling out an application form which can be taken from the college Alumni Affairs Office. The applicant must attach separate certifications of a general weighted average not lower than 2.25 and of an annual family income not higher than P60,000. The qualified applicant shall receive P5,000 financial assistance. For this purpose, the FAAI has allotted P90,000, which is ready for disbursement as soon as there are qualified applicants.

Screening of applicants

Each college through a committee composed of the: president and the secretary of the alumni association; the alumni affairs and the scholarship coordinators; and the guidance counselor  shall evaluate data of the applicants and recommend to the FAAI two qualified beneficiaries. A college offering degrees requiring licensure examination shall recommend two board takers while a college offering “non-board” degrees shall endorse two researchers or thesis writers. If a college offers programs with and without licensure examinations, it can recommend a combination of the two groups of beneficiaries.

Details of the AFAP are contained in a primer available at the university Alumni Relations Office and at the college alumni offices.

The program takes effect this Summer 2012 and shall be a continuing project of the association.  The initial fund for this program came from the proceeds of the Bingo Socials conducted during the Alumni Day. Several fund-raising activities such as a “Dinner for a Cause” in May 2012 and Bingo Socials in January 2013 as being planned.