More children of uniformed personnel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Fire Protection can expect to get a scholarship from SM Group universities.

The college education opportunity comes as the SM Group announced the expansion of its scholarship offering for families of soldiers, police and firefighters. Qualified scholars can get 20 percent discount on tuition and miscellaneous fees in any branch of SM Group’s National University (NU) and Asia Pacific College (APC) nationwide.

Dependents of uniformed personnel killed in action are qualified for free scholarship. The benefit includes internship, training and development opportunities to improve employability.

For NU alone, 2,250 scholarship slots are available in 15 campuses.

Meanwhile, APC has supported 1,283 scholars from the AFP and PNP since 2006, helping them pursue degrees in information technology, engineering and business.

APC president Ma. Teresita “Tata” Medado said the scholarship is in honor of the service of uniformed personnel. It will equip the beneficiaries to strengthen their careers, uplift their families, and enable them to serve their communities with even greater impact.

Among the APC scholars is Lt. Junior Grade Charles Nakpil of the Philippine Navy, graduating in 2016 with a degree in electronics engineering. He said the scholarship gave his family greater security and pride and allowed him to serve alongside his colleagues with deeper confidence and competence.

Jamaica Casiano, an 18-year-old first-year student at NU Manila and daughter of a Philippine Navy Marine, said the SM scholarship program helped ease her financial burdens.