SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 4: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY MANAGEMENT USING AI -POWERED ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT

Abstract

This project presents the development and implementation of a Financial Assistance Management System (FAMS) integrated with AI-powered eligibility assessment for Bestlink College of the Philippines. The study addresses the limitations of the current manual process of financial aid applications, which is prone to inefficiencies, delays, human errors, and a lack of transparency. With the rising demand for student financial assistance and the absence of standardized evaluation criteria, there is a clear need for a robust technological solution. The proposed system leverages artificial intelligence to automate the eligibility assessment process, ensuring faster, fairer, and more transparent disbursement of financial aid to deserving students. This study adopted the Agile Scrum methodology, emphasizing iterative development and close collaboration with stakeholders. System requirements were gathered through interviews, surveys, and document analysis. The solution was developed using a microservices architecture based on the WAMP stack and integrated with AI components to assess eligibility based on multiple criteria, including financial need and academic performance. Key modules include a student application portal, an AI-driven eligibility assessment engine, administrator dashboards, notification systems, and reporting tools. To streamline the development lifecycle, the team implemented CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) pipelines and utilized containerization technologies, enabling efficient testing, deployment, and system scalability. The implementation of the system resulted in significant time savings and a substantial reduction in administrative workload. The integration of AI ensured fair and unbiased eligibility assessments. Students benefited from real-time updates on their application status, while administrators gained centralized oversight and access to prescriptive reporting tools. System testing confirmed that all functional and performance requirements were met, and positive feedback from both users and staff validated the system’s effectiveness, reliability, and user-friendly design. The project successfully modernized the financial assistance operations at Bestlink College of the Philippines, promoting greater transparency, fairness, and operational efficiency. Its strong alignment with institutional objectives, combined with the integration of industry best practices in AI and DevOps, positions the system as a scalable model for future enhancements or adoption by other educational institutions. Future developments may include integration with external scholarship databases and the advancement of predictive analytics to further support student success and ensure equitable allocation of resources.