OWWA scholarship guide: EDSP, ODSP, and CMWSP

This guide explains the main OWWA college scholarship tracks for dependents and migrant workers: EDSP, ODSP, and CMWSP. It is an independent summary for Filipino families, not an OWWA announcement. Reported application windows for school year 2027–2028 closed in September 2026. Check the official portal before you prepare documents for a later batch.

Last verified: 8 October 2026. Benefits, age limits, and deadlines change by program and category. Confirm the current call on the OWWA scholarship portal before you apply.

Who these scholarships are for

OWWA education aid is mainly for the children or siblings of Overseas Filipino Workers who are OWWA members, and in one program for the worker as well. A cousin, niece, or nephew is not the usual qualified dependent. Only one family member can normally use an OWWA scholarship at a time.

• EDSP and ODSP are for dependents of an active OWWA member.
• CMWSP can cover a deserving active OFW, not more than 45 years old in recent calls, or a child not more than 21.
• The student must study in the Philippines. A course taken only at a foreign school is outside these programs.

Choose the right program

EDSP

The Education for Development Scholarship Program gives up to ₱60,000 per school year for a four- or five-year bachelor’s degree. Category 1 is for Grade 12 graduates and incoming first-year students. Category 2 is for students already in second to fifth year.

ODSP

The OFW Dependent Scholarship Program is the smaller grant, ₱20,000 per school year, for a bachelor’s or associate course in a Philippine school. It is not the same as EDSP, even if some reposts mix their requirements.

CMWSP

The Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Program also goes up to ₱60,000 per school year. Recent calls focused on priority science and technology courses and set a family-income cap, reported as an annual gross income not above ₱76,000, or about USD 2,400.

Eligibility checklist

Use this as a screening list. The portal form for your category is the deciding list.

• The OFW membership is active for EDSP and ODSP. CMWSP has also accepted children of inactive members in some calls, so read that form carefully.
• Incoming first-year applicants are generally single and not more than 21 years old.
• EDSP Category 2 applicants are generally not more than 30 and already enrolled in second to fifth year.
• EDSP Category 1 usually needs a general weighted average of at least 80 percent, with no failing grade in the previous year.
• EDSP Category 2 has been called with a higher average, often 85 percent, and no failing grade.
• The applicant is not already using another OWWA scholarship, and no sibling is a current OWWA scholar.

Documents to prepare

OWWA’s own application materials commonly ask for the items below. File names and extra forms differ by category.

• Accomplished online scholarship application
• Proof of grades: Form 137, certified Form 138, or a transcript
• Valid ID of the OFW member and of the applicant or representative
• Proof of relationship, usually a PSA or local civil registry birth certificate
• Proof of enrollment, when the student is already in college
• Recent ID photo, if the selected form asks for one
• Income proof for CMWSP, if that category is selected

Application window

For the call tied to school year 2027–2028, secondary reports said applications opened on 7 September 2026. EDSP Category 1 and CMWSP were first reported through 17 September 2026, then extended to 24 September 2026. EDSP Category 2 and ODSP were reported through 27 September 2026.

As of 8 October 2026, those published deadlines have passed. Do not rely on a repost that still says “apply now.” Open the official portal and look for a new schedule before you pay for documents or travel to an office.

Where and how to apply

1. Open the OWWA Scholarship Online Application portal at scholarship.owwa.gov.ph during an announced application period.
2. Choose EDSP, ODSP, or CMWSP, then the category that matches the student’s year level.
3. Upload the documents requested on that form. A document asked by a Facebook post but not by the form is not required.
4. Submit before the deadline shown on the portal. Regional offices can explain the form, but the online portal is the application channel named in OWWA’s Citizen’s Charter.
5. Keep the reference number and wait for OWWA’s own notice. A slot is not confirmed by a blog comment or a social media reply.

If the portal is closed

Prepare grades, birth certificate, and proof of OWWA membership, then watch the portal and the OWWA regional office for the next call. Submitting through a third-party page does not file an application.

Common problems

• The OFW membership is inactive for a program that requires an active member.
• The applicant is over the age limit for that category, or already has a sibling on an OWWA scholarship.
• The average meets a reposted number but not the number on the current form.
• The relationship is not a child or sibling, so the birth certificate does not match the member.
• The deadline on a news repost is older than the date on the portal.

Official sources

• OWWA Scholarship Online Application portal — scholarship.owwa.gov.ph — checked 8 October 2026
• OWWA Citizen’s Charter, which names that portal as the online application channel during the announced period
• Deadline extension reports for EDSP Category 1 and CMWSP to 24 September 2026, used only as secondary timing notes

Pilipinas Guide is not OWWA, a recruitment agency, or a scholarship provider. We do not accept or forward applications.