SSS has announced on Facebook last August 23, 2019 that relatives of members of SSS can apply for SSS Educ-Assist Loan Program. If you qualify, you will be able to receive funds for school enrollment. Those who may apply are members, husband or wife of members, children of members, siblings of member who do not have a spouse who wants to study in college for a degree or for a vocational or technical course. Below is an application guide for the loan program.
How to qualify as a member-borrower?
First, you need to have at most P25,000.00 basic monthly salary. Moreover, you should have at least 36 posted monthly contributions wherein the six of those were posted in the last twelve months before filing the application. Your payments of salary, housing and other member loans if applicable should also be up to date.
How to apply?
- First, download and print the Educational Assistance Loan Program Application Form which can be found in the SSS website (sss.gov.ph). Fill up Part 1 of the Form.
- Let an Authorized Representative of the school that the beneficiary is planning to enroll in fill up Part 3.
- Go to the nearest SSS branch and bring valid ID cards, current school assessment or billing statement.
- If it’s your first application, bring a proof of relationship with the beneficiary to the member-borrower like a Birth Certificate, Marriage Contract and proof of monthly salary or income of the member-borrower.
- If the loan is approved, you can get the check from the same SSS branch personally or with an authorized representative and use this to pay to the school of the beneficiary.
How much money can I loan?
For College Degree Courses, there is a maximum of P20,000 per semester/trimester/quarter or net tuition/miscellaneous fees/assessment balance on cash basis, whichever is lower.
As for the Vocational-Technical Course, a maximum of P10,000 can be loaned per semester/trimester/quarter or net tuition/miscellaneous fees/assessment balance on cash basis, whichever is lower.
What are the other conditions?
The beneficiary should enroll again within the 18 months if semestral, 15 months if trimestral, or 14 months and 15 days if he/she is in a quarterly program from the last Educ-Assist loan fee.
If the beneficiary is unable to enroll again within the said duration, the loan will be consolidated already, and the member-borrower will be sent a bill for payment.
He or she must reapply for the Educ-Assist Loan Program until the beneficiary finishes the course or until the allocation is used up, whichever comes first.
When and how should I pay the Educ-Assist Loan?
The debt should be paid within five (5) years according to the said amortization for the Degree Courses and up to three (3) years for Vocational-Technical courses. The term for payment is dependent on the preferred term of the member, scheduled term based on the principal loan and adjusted term based of the member’s age before the amortization, whichever is the shortest.
Use the Loan Payment Return Form (SS Form ML-1) in paying. You can pay in any SSS branches with tellering counters and banks and non-bank collecting partners of SSS.
Do remember that it is important to pay the loan so other member-borrowers can avail of this Educ-Assist Loan as well.
