CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: CHED Opens FY 2026 SIKAP Grant Applications

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office VIII officially opens the application window for the Fiscal Year 2026 Scholarships for Staff and Instructors’ Knowledge Advancement Program (SIKAP) Grants. This active call invites eligible academic personnel from higher education institutions to apply for funding across Region VIII's updated List of Approved Delivering Higher Education Institutions (DHEIs) and Programs.

As part of this regional expansion, Southern Leyte State University–Main Campus secures approval for additional eligible graduate offerings under the grant. Qualified educators and staff can now utilize the scholarship to pursue a Master in Technology and Livelihood Education at the institution, which now covers specialized majors in Home Economics, Agri-Fishery Arts, Information and Communication Technology, and Industrial Arts. Eligibility for the grant is open to personnel from eligible State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Private HEIs, except for the SLSU employees.

Operating pursuant to CEB Resolution Nos. 123-2026 and 143-2026, the current application cycle implements updated guidelines designed to broaden funding access. Under CMO No. 7, s. 2026, regular and plantilla personnel may apply, while CMO No. 9, s. 2026 governs applications for non-regular and non-plantilla personnel (SIKAP-N). Interested faculty and staff members seeking either Full-Time or Part-Time study must satisfy all eligibility criteria outlined under these updated frameworks across the region's approved DHEIs.

To facilitate efficient processing, CHED utilizes a monthly screening and approval system throughout the application window, which runs from June to August 2026. The commission establishes strict timelines for submissions and results, beginning with the first batch, which has an application deadline of June 22, 2026, and a scheduled Notice of Award release on July 6, 2026. For the second batch, the application deadline is set for July 20, 2026, followed by the release of the Notice of Award on August 7, 2026. The third batch requires submissions by August 10, 2026, with the corresponding Notice of Award scheduled for release on August 28, 2026.

Applicants must ensure all documentary submissions are complete and correct on or before these monthly cut-offs to avoid processing delays. Interested personnel are directed to visit the official SIKAP webpage at sikap.ched.gov.ph to get the full information of the guidelines, scholarship benefits and privileges, requirements, steps, and processes of the application.