Apply for a Subsidized SSS Educational Loan in the Philippines

Who can get a Digido loan?

Tertiary education in the Philippines remains free for students enrolled in state universities or colleges, according to the Free Tuition Law. However, many young people apply for private institutions where the tuition fee keeps growing. In 2024, an average tuition fee for the most common courses, such as nursing, accountancy, or engineering, reached about PHP 100,000 (1), which is unattainable for many Filipino families.

The SSS Educational Assistance Loan Program (EALP) allows all eligible SSS members to receive a subsidized loan for education. Launched in May 2012, it has already helped thousands of students in the Philippines pay their tuition fees. In this article, we’ll explain who can apply for this loan and how to submit your application in 2024 to receive an SSS student loan.

How does the SSS educational loan work?

The SSS educational loan is a personal loan with the sole purpose of paying for education. It is provided under favorable terms: the interest rate is below the market, and you do not have to pay it back until you graduate. This way, you can obtain a profession and apply your new skills to repay the loan.

Launched as a collaborative project of the Social Security System (SSS) and the National Government (NG), the SSS educational loan is intended to help people unable to afford college education. The funding is split evenly between the two institutions. The project has an ample yearly budget. That means several thousand students can take out a loan each year.

What is the Maximum Amount for the SSS Educational Loan Program?

The ceiling loan limit depends on whether you are taking a degree course (longer and a bit more theoretical) or a vocational (shorter and more practical) one. The loan is granted in the beginning of the course based on the following calculation:

• For a degree course, the upper limit is PHP 20,000 per semester
• For a vocational course (2 years), it is PHP 10,000 per semester/trimester.

For example, you undertake a degree course (college or university), and your tuition fee for this semester is PHP 16,000. Then, the loan amount will be PHP 16,000. If the tuition fee is PHP 32,000, the loan will be at PHP 20,000. Please note that your college or university must be accredited by the government for you to claim the SSS educational loan.

You can see the total amount of a loan covering the entire course in the table:

Course duration, years	Loan limit for a vocational course, PHP	Loan limit for a degree course, PHP
2 (semester)	40,000
2 (trimester)	60,000
4		160,000
5		200,000

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What is the Interest Rate for the SSS Educational Loan?

The government doesn’t impose any interest rate on half of your loan, and the SSS charges you 6% per year for the portion financed by them. This means the average interest rate of a SSS educational loan comes to 3%.

There are, however, other charges you may possibly face, such as a 1% monthly penalty for any missed monthly payments.

👉 Educational Loan Repayment Terms

All payments for your SSS educational loan start after your graduation plus a specific period of time after you receive the last check:

• Plus 18 months for courses divided into semesters
• Plus 15 months for courses divided into trimesters
• Plus 14.5 months for courses divided into quarters.

That ensures you can finish your course before you will have to repay the loan ― you will have time to find a job that can sustain the monthly payments. The actual payment term, or the time period in which you have to repay the loan, mostly depends on the course duration.
There are three ways your payment term can be determined: schedules, preferred, or adjusted. However, the actual term is defined as the shortest of the three. Let us explain this in simple examples.

👉 Scheduled Repayment Term

Scheduled repayment time limits for the SSS educational loan are set by the government as the following (3):

Loan amount, PHP	Scheduled repayment term, years
20,000 or less	1
40,000 or less	2
60,000 or less	3
80,000 or less	4
more than 80,000	5

For example, if your overall loan amount equals PHP 75,000 and other repayment terms do not apply, you have at least 4 years to repay it.

👉 Preferred Repayment Term

The law allows you to set a custom repayment term for your loan. According to the rule of the shortest term of the three, your preferred term cannot be longer than your standard term. However, it is convenient if you want to repay your college loan sooner. So if you have a loan of 75,000 PHP, you can repay it in 4 years, which is the scheduled repayment term, or you can do that in 3 years, which will be your preferred repayment term.

Your preferred repayment term must be noted in your SSS educational loan form. Make sure to calculate the duration so that you can actually sustain the monthly payments. Remember that you won’t be able to change your term later, and all missed payments will result in additional charges from the authorities.

👉 Adjusted Repayment Term

This term is specific for loanees who will be at least 65 years old at the end of the installment term and is set at 1 year regardless of other conditions. Let’s say you have a loan of 90,000 PHP, so you will be expected to repay it in 5 years. In your SSS educational loan form, you indicated that you decided to repay it in 2 years. However, if you are 60 years old now, in 5 years you will turn 65, and the adjusted term of 1 year is applicable in your case. Since it is the shortest of the three, you will have to repay the entire sum in 1 year.

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Who is Qualified For the SSS Educational Loan?

Only active paying SSS members or their beneficiaries are qualified for the loan. You need to register in the Social Security System, achieve a permanent status to qualify, and make SSS contributions. To do that, make sure to get an SS number online and upload documents proving your identity to the SSS website. Once the status is approved, you can apply for the SSS educational loan.

As an SSS member, you can take a loan for yourself or one of your beneficiaries, including:

• Brothers and sisters, as well as half-brothers and half-sisters
• A spouse and children (even if born outside a marriage or adopted).

If you are single, you can claim a loan for one beneficiary only. If you are married, you can put two beneficiaries in your application. Therefore, if you and your spouse are both SSS members, you can take an educational loan for four beneficiaries at once ― for example, if you have four children. Note that once your form is accepted, you cannot change the beneficiary in the documents.

There are several specific requirements for an SSS member to be qualified for a loan, and the actual list of SSS educational loan requirements depends on whether the member takes its first educational loan or already has one.

👉 First Educational Loan

To get your SSS educational loan form approved, you must meet the following criteria:

• 60 years old or younger by the end of the installment term
• Actively paying: at least 36 contributions, including six payments within 12 month prior to the application
• Receive less than PHP 25,000 a month as an overall income
• Have no delays in paying any other loans issued by SSS.

Your beneficiaries do not have to meet all these criteria. For example, your children can use your SSS membership without registering themselves.

👉 Additional Educational Loan

If you already have an active SSS educational loan yet want to get another one, you must meet the following criteria:

• Actively paying: at least six payments within the year preceding the application
• Have no delays in paying your previous EALP loan or any other SSS loans.

Please note that if your monthly income increases, you will not lose the right to apply for another loan: the income is considered only the first time you apply.

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Need money that you can get quickly? Get your first loan with 0% interest rate! Calculate your pre-approved loan amount:

SSS Educational Loan Requirements in 2024

To apply for the SSS educational loan program in 2024, you must submit a list of documents depending on whether it is your first educational loan or not:

👉 Documents For the First Educational Loan

For first-time borrowers, the list of documents includes the following:

• A valid ID or another document to prove the identity
• A filled-in SSS educational loan form
• An assessment or a billing statement from the school
• A proof of monthly income for the lender: pay slip/pay envelope (for employed) or Income Tax Return/affidavit of income (for self-employed/voluntary paying)
• A proof of relationship to the beneficiary.

👉 Documents For an Additional Educational Loan

For additional applications, there are less documents required:

• A valid ID or another document to prove the identity
• A filled SSS educational loan form
• An assessment or a billing statement from the school.

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How to Avail of an Educational Loan in SSS

To receive an SSS educational loan, you must register as an SSS member and file an application with all the required documents or have another member file it for you. Wait for SSS to decide on your application. You will receive a notification via text or email. If the loan is approved, all you need to do is go to the branch where you applied and claim your check.

📋 How to Fill out the SSS Educational Loan Form

• Download the form at the official SSS website.
• Fill all the information in Part I with black ink only and sign it. If you take the loan for a beneficiary who is already 18 years old, they must sign the form as well.
• Leave Part II of the form blank, it will be filled out by SSS officials.
• If you have a problem with your form, feel free to ask SSS staff for help.

📋 How to Apply or Pay Your SSS Educational Loan Online

By law, you cannot apply for the SSS educational loan program online: you have to visit an SSS office in-person and bring all the documents with you. However, you can repay your loan via any online bank account or payment system (PesoPay, InstaPay, or some other platform) that supports such transactions.

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SSS Educational Assistance Loan Program vs. Student Loans

SSS education loans may look very similar to so-called student loans offered by private lending businesses. But they have several key differences that can help you choose between one or the other.

	SSS EALP	Private loans
Purpose	Only tuition/misc fees	Any educational expenses: tuition/mics fees, supplies, transport fare, gadgets, etc.
Maximum amount	PHP 200,000 for 5 years	Depends on the lender, but mostly about PHP 100,000 (4)
Repayment start	After graduation plus up to 18 months	Depends on the lender, but mostly after graduation

Conclusion

The educational loans provided by SSS can prove very helpful. They make education more accessible for Filipinos, allowing you to acquire a valuable profession. Thanks to the funding from the government, they have adjustable repayment terms and relatively low interest rates.
However, you should be very careful when applying: carefully calculate your payments, weigh all the risks, and submit all documents correctly to use this opportunity to the fullest.

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Digido Reviews

• 
  Ramon

  When it comes to bridging the gap for educational expenses, you don't necessarily have to resort to an SSS educational loan. For small, quick cash loans, we always turn to the Digido app. They are a legitimate lender known for their swift loan approvals. I highly recommend these guys. They are transparent and lightning-fast in their service!

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• 
  Aurora

  Figuring out how to apply for an educational loan in SSS can be quite a process. However, I discovered a much more straightforward solution with Digido. When I needed additional funds for my child's education, Digido was there to help bridge the gap. Their application process is a breeze, and I received the funds quickly. With Digido, I could focus on my child's education without the hassle of traditional loan applications.

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  Elena

  When I needed financial support for educational purposes, I stumbled upon Digido. The process of understanding who is qualified for an SSS educational loan can be quite challenging. Digido may not specifically offer educational loans, however, Digido offers a simpler way to access easy loans. Digido is working when you need financial help for unexpected costs!

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