Quick Answer: The DOST-SEI Junior Level Science Scholarships (JLSS) fund the last two or three years of college for students who were not DOST scholars from first year. You apply as a regular 2nd-year student in a DOST priority STEM course with a GWA of at least 83% and no failing or conditional grades, then take a qualifying exam. Scholars get ₱8,000 a month, tuition up to ₱40,000 a year at private schools, ₱10,000 a year for learning materials, and a ₱10,000 thesis grant. In 2026, 1,000 of 11,592 examinees qualified.
If you missed the DOST-SEI undergraduate scholarship in senior high school, JLSS is the second door. It is the same family of DOST science scholarships, with the same stipend, but it opens in the middle of college and only for students already doing well in a priority STEM course. This guide covers what the official JLSS portal and DOST-SEI's scholarship site require, how the 2026 cycle ran, and what to prepare if you plan to apply in the next call. For the first-year scholarship, see our DOST scholarship guide.
What Is the DOST JLSS Scholarship?
JLSS is a DOST-SEI scholarship for students entering their third year of a priority science and technology degree. DOST-SEI describes its aim as financing "the education of talented students in their third year of college" in priority S&T programs. It runs under three scholarship types:
| Track | Legal basis | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Merit | Originally RA 2067 (NSDB/NSTA scholarship) | Students with high aptitude in science and math |
| RA 7687 | Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994 | Talented students whose family's socio-economic status does not exceed DOST-SEI's cut-off values |
| RA 10612 | Fast-tracked S&T Scholarship Act of 2013 | Students who will teach science or math in high school after graduating |
RA 10612 itself names JLSS: Section 5 of the law requires recipients to be "a regular third-year college student at the time of award" with a GWA of 83% or better and to qualify in the Junior Level Science Scholarship Examination.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
You must be a regular 2nd-year student in a DOST-SEI priority S&T course, with an 83% GWA and a clean record, at an eligible school. The 2026 portal set these criteria:
- Year level: regular 2nd-year college student enrolled in a DOST-SEI priority S&T course in the second semester of the current academic year
- Grades: GWA of at least 83% or its equivalent, with no conditional or failing mark from the first semester of first year to the first semester of second year, including any midyear term. Non-academic subjects are not counted in the GWA.
- Citizenship: natural-born Filipino
- Character and health: good moral character and good health
- Past DOST applicants are welcome: students who applied for the DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarship and did not qualify, or who qualified but did not take the award, may apply
A single failing or conditional grade in any academic subject makes you ineligible, even if your GWA is above 83%. Education-degree students cannot apply under RA 10612.
Does Your School and Course Qualify?
It depends on the type of school. If you study at a state university or college (SUC), your course must be on DOST-SEI's priority course list. If you study at a private HEI or a local university/college, the school must be a CHED Center of Excellence or Center of Development, or your specific program must hold FAAP Level III accreditation or higher (from PAASCU, PACUCOA, or ACSCU-ACI). RA 10612 applicants are the exception: the accreditation proof is not required for them.
The portal has a search tool for checking your course and school. If yours is missing, you can still apply but must upload information about the school, its grading system, and proof of accreditation. Our explainer on school accreditation in the Philippines explains what FAAP levels mean.
How Much Does JLSS Pay?
JLSS pays the same core benefits as other DOST-SEI undergraduate scholarships. Per DOST-SEI's scholarship site:
| Benefit | Regular academic year | Midyear term (if required by curriculum) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and other school fees (private HEIs) | Actual fees up to ₱40,000 per AY | Actual fees up to ₱10,000 |
| Learning materials and/or connectivity allowance | ₱10,000 per AY | ₱2,000 |
| Monthly living allowance | ₱8,000 per month | ₱8,000 per month |
| Transportation (studying outside home province) | 1 economy-class round-trip fare | None |
| Group accident and health insurance | Premium paid | None |
| Thesis allowance | ₱10,000 | None |
| Research dissemination grant | Up to ₱50,000, on application and approval | None |
| Graduation allowance | ₱1,000 | None |
Disclaimer: benefit amounts are set by DOST-SEI and can be revised. Check science-scholarships.ph for the current schedule before planning your budget around it.
The tuition line applies only to scholars at private HEIs, per DOST-SEI's table.
When Is the JLSS Application and Exam?
JLSS opens once a year, in the second semester of 2nd year. The official 2026 timeline from the JLSS portal:
| Step | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| Online application opens | April 17, 2026 |
| Last day to submit application | May 15, 2026 |
| Test permits emailed | June 2026 |
| Qualifying exam (pen and paper) | June 28, 2026 |
| Submit certification of regular 3rd-year status (or Form E-1) | On or before July 24, 2026 |
| Qualifiers announced | Tentatively September 2026 |
| Award takes effect | First semester, AY 2026-2027 |
As of November 2026, DOST-SEI had not posted the 2027 JLSS schedule. If the 2026 pattern repeats, the next call would open around April 2027 for students who are regular 2nd-year students in AY 2026-2027. Watch jlss.science-scholarships.ph and the DOST-SEI Facebook page rather than third-party sites; the portal itself warns applicants to "beware of other websites that contain outdated information."
Do not confuse JLSS with the undergraduate scholarship. For senior high school graduates, DOST-SEI's 2026 call ran from August 17 to September 17, 2026, with the exam on November 14-15, 2026.
What Documents Do You Need?
You upload everything through the JLSS e-application system. The 2026 list:
- Forms C to I, printed on A4 and signed by the right officials: Form C (Good Moral Character), Form D (Good Health), Form E/E1 (Program of Study and Year Level), Form F (Residency), Form G1 (return of service, Merit/RA 7687) or G2 (RA 10612), Form H (DOST-SEI exam/award history), and Form I (signed declaration by applicant and parent, guardian, or spouse)
- Grades from first semester of first year to first semester of second year: official Transcript of Records, True Copy of Grades, or a certified grade report signed by the registrar or dean
- Recent photo, passport size, white background, handwritten name tag and signature, taken within 3 months, no filters
- Birth certificate from PSA, NSO, or the municipal registry
- Proof of income that matches your parent's class of worker, such as the 2025 ITR, BIR Certificate of Exemption, Certificate of Employment with Compensation, or a Certificate of Indigency if both parents are unemployed (OFW parents can submit the employment contract)
- Notarized affidavit of guardianship if someone other than your parents supports you
DOST-SEI is strict about uploads: incomplete, unsigned, or unreadable forms are grounds for disqualification. Register with a personal Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or iCloud address; school and government email domains are not accepted.
How Competitive Is JLSS?
About 1 in 12 examinees qualified in 2026. DOST-SEI's official results notice says 11,592 incoming third-year students took the exam on June 28 and July 5, 2026, across 109 testing centers. The breakdown of the 1,000 qualifiers:
| Track | 2026 qualifiers |
|---|---|
| Merit | 372 |
| RA 7687 | 269 |
| RA 10612 | 128 |
| Potential qualifiers (pending document review) | 231 |
| Total | 1,000 |
Selection is also subject to the fiscal year budget, per the same notice, so the number can change from year to year.
What Return Service Will You Owe?
Every JLSS scholar signs a Scholarship Agreement with a service obligation. For RA 7687 scholars, Section 13 of the law requires full-time work in the Philippines in your field for "a minimum period equivalent to the length of time a scholar enjoyed the scholarship," and failing to serve means reimbursing the government in full or in part. For RA 10612 scholars, Section 10 requires teaching science or math "for a minimum of two (2) years, in a public or private high school." Merit scholars sign the return-of-service form G1 alongside RA 7687 applicants; read your agreement at orientation for the exact terms.
Tips for Applying
- Protect your grades from first year. The 83% GWA counts every academic subject from your first semester, and one failing or conditional mark ends eligibility.
- Confirm your school's status early. For private schools, the FAAP Level III or COE/COD status is per program, not per school.
- Start the forms in March. Several need signatures from school officials and a doctor, which take time near the end of the semester.
- Pick the track you can keep. RA 10612 means at least two years of high school teaching after graduation. If that is not your plan, apply under Merit or RA 7687.
- Review math and science fundamentals. The qualifying exam is pen and paper, held at assigned test centers.
If you are still choosing a STEM course or school, our guides to the best engineering schools, BS Mathematics, and BS Physics can help. For other options, see scholarships for college students. If your parent is an OFW, our OWWA scholarship requirements guide covers aid you can stack on top.
Ready to compare STEM schools? Search schools on SchoolFinderPH to check programs, tuition, and reviews at universities offering DOST priority courses.
Sources
- DOST-SEI Junior Level Science Scholarships portal (official)
- DOST-SEI Science Scholarships, schedules and scholarship privileges (official)
- DOST-SEI 2026 JLSS Official List of Qualifiers (official)
- Republic Act No. 7687, Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994 (LawPhil)
- Republic Act No. 10612, Fast-tracked S&T Scholarship Act of 2013 (LawPhil)
- SchoolFinderPH: DOST Scholarship Guide, School Accreditation in the Philippines, Best Engineering Schools, BS Mathematics, BS Physics, Scholarships for College Students, OWWA Scholarship Requirements
