BAGUIO CITY – The National Electrification Administration (NEA) approved the policy of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) granting educational assistance to the beneficiaries of its member-consumers subject to the availability of funds and sufficient distribution, supply and metering (DSM) revenue to cover the said program.
The NEA stated that based on the review the regulating body conducted on BENECO’s financial status, it is financially capable of pursuing the program but it must maintain its triple A status as an electric cooperative so that whatever benefits it will provides its member-consumers will not be reduced or scrapped.
Earlier, the BENECO Board of Directors approved Resolution No. 2018-44 that confirmed and adopted the electric cooperative’s policy on educational assistance.
Under the educational assistance program, BENECO shall allocate an annual budget for the provision of educational assistance to be equally divided among the 11 districts and that the same shall be provided to qualified children of bonafide member-consumers whose monthly average consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatts per hour.
The number of beneficiaries per district shall be limited to the total allocated budget for the educational assistance for the district.
An educational assistance of P12,000 shall be provided to qualified beneficiaries enrolled in private colleges and universities while those enrolled in state universities and colleges shall be entitled to P5,000 only.
Proof of payment of tuition, miscellaneous fee, library fees and other school-related fees included in the statement of account should be submitted by the student shall be submitted at the end of each semester for liquidation purposes.
The educational assistance is subject to renewal each semester for a maximum of 8 semesters for 4-year degree courses and 10 semesters for 5-year degree courses while those in trimester-based higher education institutions shall be allowed a maximum renewal of the educational assistance for 9 semesters.
To be entitled for the renewal of the educational assistance, the beneficiaries shall present to the Institutional Services Department (ISD) copies of his or her official grades issued by the school registrar at the end of each semester, that the student shall have no failing grades at the end of the semester or dropped subjects, to present a copy of the statement of account issued by the school and should have submitted proof of payment of tuition and other related fees as stated.
Beneficiaries shall be allowed to transfer to other schools only with prior permission and approval of the selection committee and failure of beneficiary to inform the selection committee of the transfer shall be grounds for the disqualification of the student to avail of the benefit.
All beneficiaries shall have their on-the-job training in BENECO except for those whose courses are not in line with the business, such as agriculture, nursing, hotel and restaurant management, among others.
The beneficiary whose course is in line with BENECO’s business, should there be any vacancy in positions, shall serve as an employee of the cooperative for a minimum period of one year. By HENT