UPCAT

The University of the Philippines (UP) as the National University is mandated to perform its unique and distinctive leadership in knowledge creation and public service. UP is a system of eight constituent universities and one autonomous college, located across 17 campuses with students coming from all regions of the country. They stand shoulder to shoulder in creating a community of varied ideas, experiences and cultures. This is Tatak UP – a celebration of both diversity and unity.

• UP Baguio in the mountain province of Benguet is a leading institution in the Northern Philippines in the areas of science, mathematics, social sciences, and the humanities. It is internationally noted for its Cordillera Studies program.

• UP Cebu is the 8^th constituent university and is located in Cebu City, a significant center of commerce and education in the Central Visayas. It offers 9 undergraduate programs under 4 colleges with a strong focus on its information technology and business programs.

• UP Diliman in Quezon City with its sprawling campus provides an eclectic and dynamic learning atmosphere with around 27,000 students and a faculty complement of 3,000. There are 67 undergraduate programs, 17 minor programs, 105 in the master's, 1 Juris Doctor, 1 BA-MA Honors, and 55 in the doctoral level. UPD offers 24 pre- and post-baccalaureate certificates, associate programs and diplomas across 26 colleges, centers & institutes, among which are 26 CHED Centers of Excellence.

• UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga located at the Clark Special Economic Zone offers three undergraduate programs with a focus on business and industry, and provides research opportunities on the development of indigenous people in Clark and Subic.

• UP Los Baños at the foot of Mt. Makiling is the country's recognized leader in agriculture, forestry and environmental management. It has 9 CHED Centers of Excellence: agricultural engineering, agriculture, biology, forestry, information technology, environmental science, statistics, veterinary medicine, and development communication.

• UP Manila in the Ermita District is the premier institution for the health sciences with extension campuses of its School of Health Sciences established in Luzon (Baler, Aurora and Tarlac), Visayas (Palo, Leyte), and Mindanao (Koronadal, South Cotabato). It offers 18 undergraduate programs through its 9 degree-granting units.

• UP Visayas, with beautiful campuses in Iloilo City and Miag-ao Iloilo, is the acknowledged authority in marine science education and research, fisheries, and aquaculture in the country.

• UP Tacloban offers 10 undergraduate degree programs and three graduate programs. Most distinguished are the programs in Accountancy, Biology, Computer Science, Management, and Psychology. It is home to the Leyte-Samar Heritage Center and the Regional Environmental Information Systems (REIS) for Eastern Visayas.

• UP Mindanao in Davao City has 11 undergraduate programs offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the School of Management, providing affordable quality education to diverse, marginalized and deserving sectors in the Southern Philippines.

• UP Open University is the nation's most comprehensive distance education institution with online degree programs at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels, plus certificate and diploma programs, and continuing education courses. At the undergraduate level, it offers an Associate in Arts degree (AA), pioneering Bachelor's degrees in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) and in Education Studies (BES) using online teaching technologies.

In line with the guiding spirit of "ONE UNIVERSITY, ONE UP" and the university's commitment to high standards of academic excellence, admission to undergraduate degree programs in UP is highly competitive. Admission is mostly based on academic achievement in secondary school and excellent performance in the UPCAT. UP as the National University also takes affirmative steps in its admission process to enhance the access of disadvantaged students to high quality education. Tuition is free in UP pursuant to the provisions of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017.

A. Through the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) - Choice of Campus and Degree Program

The UPCAT consists of four subtests: Language Proficiency (in English and Filipino), Science, Mathematics, and Reading Comprehension (in English and Filipino). Standardized UPCAT scores are combined with the composite of final grades in Grades 8, 9, 10, and 11 to determine the admission score ("UPG"). To implement the policy of democratic access, UP also considers socioeconomic and geographic factors in its admission process. (https://upcat.up.edu.ph)

SELECTION FOR A CAMPUS

Admission into UP is very selective due to high demand. Applicants come from diverse backgrounds but they are all ranked based on indicators of academic preparedness for university life.

• Selection for admission to a campus is based on the applicant's rank, and the campus quota and/or cut-off grades.
• A successful applicant can receive an offer of admission to only one of the applicant's UP campus choices.

SELECTION FOR A DEGREE PROGRAM

The successful applicants for a given campus are ranked according to grade predictors and quotas of their chosen degree programs. Some degree programs are more competitive due to high demand.

• Applicants should choose only degree programs they are interested in. If an applicant is not successful for their first choice of campus, the process continues in order of priority of the remaining choices.

APPLICATIONS

All forms for UPCAT shall be submitted online, except for selected regional areas. Applicants shall electronically accomplish the Form 1 (Personal Data Sheet) and the Form 2B (High School Record), and upload their photo and electronic signature. Some questions in the Form 1 will be used for research and will have no bearing on admissions evaluation. However, we encourage applicants to fill out all the information completely and accurately to enable the University to conduct better data analysis. Senior high school officials shall (a) log on to the UPCAT Form 2A portal to fill out the Form 2A (High School Profile) with their updated information, and (b) submit to UP a certified true copy of the applicant’s permanent secondary school record (SF-10 or Form 137), signed in wet ink, and enclosed in a sealed envelope signed across the flap. The signatures may be from any school official listed as an authorized representative in the Form 2A.

B. THE ISKOLAR NG BAYAN PROGRAM

If you are a Filipino public high school graduate in the Top Ten of your graduating class, you may apply for the Iskolar ng Bayan Law of 2014 (INB) program during the period for the processing of appeals through the DIWA which is linked to the UPCAT portal. Paper-based applications for INB may be processed by the Office of Student Affairs or Office of Scholarships and Student Services of various UP campuses only in highly exceptional circumstances.

Applicants who are in the Top 10 of the graduating batch of a public Senior High School and who have not yet been offered a degree program may apply to a UP unit in the same region as their Senior High School or to UP Open University, provided you meet the UPG cutoff for either. You must also comply with all the requirements of the degree program you indicate in your INB application. There are limited slots per campus for the INB Program.

The INB application form and a certification from the school, signed by the Principal or School Head, indicating that the applicant is part of the Top 10 of the graduating batch must be submitted through the DIWA portal during the application period for those who took the UPCAT in the same UPCAT application year as their related INB application. For those whose UPCAT results are not in the DIWA portal as UPCAT was taken the year before the INB application, or for those allowed to file paper based UPCAT applications, the same must be filed with the proper Office of Student Affairs or Office of Scholarships and Student Services of the UP campuses.

For more information, please email the UP System Office of Student Development Services at [email protected] or [email protected]. You may also check the websites of the Office of Student Affairs/Office of Scholarships and Student Services of the different UP campus units for their respective contact information and the schedule for the paper based processing of INB applications.

C. INTERNATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Graduates or prospective graduates of secondary schools outside the Philippines who have not enrolled in college before AY 2027-2028 may apply using their international qualifications, including qualifications for college admission by national or international foreign-administered examinations. For details, please see the information below. If you have additional inquiries, you may contact the Office of the University Registrar of the UP constituent university you wish to apply to, or the College Secretary for UP Tacloban.

D. TRANSFER ADMISSIONS (NOT FOR FIRST-YEAR APPLICANTS)

Students who have taken college or post-secondary courses (including for vocational, diploma, associate, and certificate programs) may apply to transfer to a UP campus after earning at least 33 academic units in another school, with a weighted average of 2.00 or better in the UP marking system. Information regarding transfer procedures to UP may be obtained from the Office of the University Registrar of the respective UP campuses.

UP Manila launched a Return Service Program in 2001 for students of its Health colleges to sign a contract that requires them to work in the Philippines for a period of not less than 2 years within 5 years after graduation.

• The Return Service Agreement (RSA) covers the different courses offered by: College of Allied Medical Professions, College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, and School of Health Services.
• Under the RSA, graduates are mandated to serve in the country, preferably in accordance with the roles and nature of their respective professions and along the three major functions of the university, but not limited to education/training, research, and direct service. For further information on the RSA, please visit this page in the UP Manila website, https://www.upm.edu.ph/admissions-rsa/.

Address	UP Office of Admissions T.M. Kalaw corner Quirino Ave., University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines
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Website	https://upcat.up.edu.ph/

Applicants who have graduated or are graduating from a secondary school outside the Philippines and who have not enrolled in college before AY 2027-2028 may apply using their international qualifications, including qualifications for college admission by national or international foreign-administered examinations. For details, please see the information below. If you have additional inquiries, you may contact the Office of the University Registrar of the UP constituent university you wish to apply to, or the College Secretary for UP Tacloban.

By International Qualification

An international applicant may apply for admission if they meet the following requirements:

1. Completion of a high school program in the country where they had secondary education (including the completion of a one or two-year pre-university education in a country where such is a prerequisite for admission to a bachelor's degree program); AND
2. Qualifications for college admission by any of the following national or international foreign-administered examinations: the SAT, OR the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examination, OR the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB), OR other equivalent examinations approved by UP.
   1. SAT: (scores must not have been taken more than 4 years before application)

      MINIMUM SAT SCORES	OLD SAT	REDESIGNED SAT
      TOTAL SCORE	1200	1270
      SECTION SCORES
      Math	600	620
      Critical Reading	600	-
      Evidence-based Writing + Critical Reading	-	650

   
   
   2. GCE: 2 ordinary (O) level passes/GCSE/IGCSE and 3 advanced (A) level passes; OR
   3. International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

• In the case of an applicant whose native language or medium of instruction in the secondary school is not English, a minimum score (500 if paper based or 173 if computer based) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• Application through international qualification must be submitted to the respective Office of the University Registrar of the constituent university of choice.

Note that the processing of such applications can only be done after the processing of UPCAT appeals and Iskolar ng Bayan applications through the DIWA portal and paper-based processing for applicants who were allowed to file paper based applications by the UP Office of Admissions.

Further, as it is explicit in the provision that this admission route is ‘without taking the UPCAT’, applicants who have taken the UPCAT and did not qualify cannot use the abovementioned international qualifications as a route to admission.

The University of the Philippines is committed to providing increased access to quality higher education. For AY 2027-2028, all eligible students will be granted free tuition and miscellaneous fees when they enroll in the University of the Philippines, in accordance with the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017. In addition to tuition and other fee subsidies given by the national government, the University also provides other forms of financial assistance to qualified students. These are grouped according to financial needs they address:

Programs that provide subsidy for tuition and other school fees

• Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017
• Grants-in-Aid Program (GIAP)
• Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES)

Programs that provide living allowance on monthly or per semester basis

• Student and Graduate Assistantships (SAGA)
• Grants-in-Aid Program (GIAP)
• UP Presidential Scholarship
• UP Presidential Leadership Grant
• The Lingap Iskolar Program

Programs that defer cash payments during the semester

• UP Tuition Loan Program

GRANTS-IN-AID PROGRAM (GIAP). UP created the Grants-in-Aid Program (GIAP) to reduce the cost paid by students during enrollment based on their household's paying capacity. Through the GIAP, UP may subsidize a portion of the full cost required during enrollment and, in some instances, grant additional subsidy to waive miscellaneous fees and grant monthly cash allowances.

TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY (TES). The Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) is a financial assistance program managed by the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST). The TES grants cash allowance for one academic year to undergraduate students from low-income households. To process applications to TES, Scholarship personnel use the information submitted by students in SLAS Online. The University endorses SLAS Online applicants who meet the TES requirements of UniFAST.

STUDENT AND GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS (SAGA). The UP's SAGA is a program for upperclassmen and graduate students to gain experiences on leadership and ethics in the workplace; in the course of assisting UP in fulfilling its teaching, research, and public service functions. Student Assistants (SAs) are given allowances based on hours rendered: currently at P60/hour for undergraduate students, P100/hour for MA/MS, and P140/hour for PhD.

UP TUITION LOAN PROGRAM. Students may avail of short-term loans through the Student Loan Board. Loans must be settled before the end of the semester or trimester.

UP PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP AND UP PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP GRANT PROGRAMS. These programs are competitive scholarship programs awarded to students with outstanding academic accomplishments and leadership achievements. Undergraduate students with a general weighted average of at least a "1.75" and "2.75" are eligible to apply for the scholarships, respectively. The total number of scholars is limited to the number of slots that are vacant every academic year.

THE LINGAP ISKOLAR PROGRAM provides benefits and assistance to UPCAT qualifiers from remote, disadvantaged areas who come from low income-bracket families earning P135,000 gross annual income; and who are not currently on any other financial assistance or scholarship program.

Other scholarships, study grants, and awards provided by other UP constituent universities, government, private companies or individuals are also available. Please visit https://slasonline.up.edu.ph/ for more information. For further inquiries, please email the UP System Office of Student Development Services at [email protected] or [email protected]. You may also check the websites of the Office of Student Affairs/Office of Scholarships and Student Services of the different UP campus units.