The Commission on Higher Education has been able to sustain funding for free education. It has increased significantly this year and will be increased next year because the budget for scholarship programs was doubled upon the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. (Photo from CHED Facebook page)
“Forty-six per cent (46%) of all university-age Filipinos are enrolled at the university level. That’s very high by world standards and by Asian standards,” said Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chair J. Prospero de Vera.
He added that when he joined CHED in 2018, the rate was barely at 32% (or one out of three young people). It has thus become increasingly difficult to enter college with free tuition as more and more youth wish to attend public universities. Entry has become more competitive.
“Kailangan sigur(ad)uhin natin na hindi naa-agrabyado ‘yung mga nangangailangan talaga ng tulong ng pamahalaan, (we need to ensure that those who truly need help from government are not disenfranchised),” he said.
“[More than] Two million (2M) young Filipinos now enjoy tuition-free education in over 200 public universities,” the CHED chair said.
Based on data provided during the Senate budget hearing, CHED has 2,236,310 free higher education grantees from 113 state universities and colleges (SUCs) and 98 local universities and colleges (LUCs).
Participation Rate:
| HEI | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Public | 19.27% | 21.47% | 22.60% |
| Private | 18.93% | 22.6% | 25.07% |
This table from CHED shows the number of students in public and private HEIs over the years, prior to the Marcos Jr. administration and as of the current/latest academic year.
The Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Act (UAQTEA), or Republic Act 10931, which provides financial assistance to deserving students in tertiary education, was passed into law on August 3, 2017. It removed barriers for – and increased the access of young people – to higher education.
It means free tuition and other school fees at state universities and colleges (SUCs), CHED-recognized local universities and colleges (LUCs) and state-run technical-vocational institutions, subject to certain conditions: no previous undergraduate degree, meeting the admission and retention policies of the institution, and no overstaying at the college level.
The beneficiaries of free higher education come from impoverished families, from rural areas, children of rebel returnees, and youth from indigenous groups. De Vera said that the percentage of children coming from these impoverished families ought to increase. Moreover, our universities should have an aggressive equity-admission policy.
“Equity admission policies” endeavor to improve the access of underrepresented groups to higher education, and increase their social mobility.
Apparently, the students have gone past the most crucial of all hurdles: tuition and miscellaneous fees. Since these are already out of the way for most of them, the next challenge is their day-to-day expenses. “Tutulungan natin sila,” (We will help them), De Vera said.
Tertiary Education Subsidy in place
And this is where the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) comes in. TES is a grant-in-aid program that supports the full or partial cost of tertiary education of priority students in SUCs, CHED-recognized LUCs, and private higher education institutions (HEIs).
The benefits starting Academic Year 2023-2024 are ₱20,000 per academic year for SUCs and LUCs, and ₱27,000 per academic year for PHEIs. Persons with disabilities receive an additional ₱10,000 per academic year, along with a one-time reimbursement of ₱8,000 for board or licensure exams.
CHED and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) will prioritize the poorest students receiving TES for AY 2024-2025.
UniFAST is a government-run system that combines all publicly-funded student financial assistance programs (StuFAPs) for tertiary education. These programs include scholarships, grants-in-aid, student loans, and other specialized forms of assistance.
Priorities for allocating new TES slots shall be in the following order:
- Students who are part of households included in the most updated Listahanan or the most updated standardized beneficiary-targeting system recognized by law, enrolled in SUCs, LUCs, or Private Higher Education Institutions including PNSLs, ranked according to household per capita income;
- Students who are part of households included in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), based on the list by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), ranked according to household per capita income for all SUCs, LUCs, and, Private Higher Education Institutions including PNSLs; and,
- Should there be remaining slots, other poor students in Private Higher Education Institutions in cities or municipalities with no SUCs or LUCs (PNSL) not included in the 1st and 2nd prioritization categories.
“PNSL” are students who study and reside in private HEIs in locales with no existing state and local universities and colleges.
| Major Projects and Programs | Project Overview/Description | Accomplishments | Office-in Charge |
| UAQTE- Free Higher Education | Starting AY 2018-2019, all Filipino undergraduates enrolled in SUCs and CHED-recognized LUCs enjoyed free tuition, miscellaneous, and other school fees, subject to the ff. conditions:
|
407,320 FHE beneficiaries for AY 2023-2024
474,552 FHE Beneficiaries for AY 2024-2025 |
UniFAST Secretariat |
| UAQTE-Tertiary Education Subsidy | The Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) is a program under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017 (RA 10931) which provides financial assistance to deserving students in tertiary education. For 2024, the priority beneficiaries for TES are:
|
611, 884 TES grantees for AY 2023-2024 | UniFAST Secretariat |
| UAQTE Tulong Dunong Program | The Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) provides financial subsidies to cover partial educational costs and related expenses. Each grantee is entitled to P7,500 per semester or a total of P15,000 per academic year. | 181,430 TDP grantees for AY 2023-2024 | UniFAST Secretariat |
Source: CHED
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As the official “ambassador” of the Philippine government to students enrolled in higher education, CHED Chair J. Prospero de Vera – or “Sir Popoy” to scholars – has been going around the country to “meet-and-greet” the beneficiaries of its many scholarships.
Clad in cycling shirts and shorts, De Vera visits the beneficiaries’ homes via his trusty bicycle, accompanied by higher education administrators, faculty and students from the region. And always, the stories shared by the scholars of CHED are heartbreaking, and heartwarming at the same time.
Devera L. Tipasal, a Bachelor of Public Administration major at the Bukidnon State University recalls her difficulties: “Simula pa noong pagkamulat ko sa mundo at hanggang ngayon, naranasan ko na ang sobrang pait at hirap sa buhay. [Naglalakad ako] ng labing apat na kilometro, at tumatawid ng tatlong ilog para makapasok lamang sa paaralan. Ang baon ko noon ay kamote, kamoteng kahoy, at saging,”
(From the day I was born, to this day, I have experienced bitterness and hardship in life. I would walk 14 kilometers, and cross three rivers just to get to school. I used to have sweet potato, cassava, or bananas for food), she said.
Reynard Zaballero Pasok, who is taking up B.S. Information Technology at the ACLC College of Bukidnon, was saving for a brighter future while driving a 10-wheeler truck. Unfortunately, he lost his right arm due to an accident.
“Hindi kaya ng mga magulang ko na paaralin ako sa kolehiyo. Nang dahil sa CHED ay nabigyan ako ng pagkakataon na makapag-aral muli, at maabot ang aking pangarap,” (My parents couldn’t afford to send me to school. But CHED gave me the opportunity to study anew, and to reach my dream) Pasok said.
Pasok and Tipasal shared these during an event in Bukidnon, which was a platform for TES grantees to share their personal stories.
Reynan Labong, a BSE Social Studies alumnus of the main campus of Samar State University, had planned on quitting during his freshman year when his brother died during the Covid-19 pandemic. But one week into his brother’s passing, he received the good news that he was going to be a grantee of CHED scholarship TES.
Interestingly, the members of the scholars’ families are always their priority. And instead of keeping their allowances to themselves, they give way to a sibling before thinking of their own needs.
With his subsidy, TES grantee Alfie Delos Reyes Enriquez, who is a Political Science major at the Basilan State College, is helping his younger siblings with tuition fees.
Renamie Nunez, a B.S. Education, major in English sophomore at Cordova Public College in Cebu, first bought a laptop for her sibling, who would need it for AutoCAD for his engineering course.
Both Enriquez and Nunez eventually bought something for themselves: a gadget for Enriquez, and her first mobile phone for Nunez. i
Nunez intends to use the third release of funds to help their family move to a new place.
With Tipasal’s TES allowance, his mother bought a modest piece of land.
“Ang laki ng naitulong [‘nung TES] na nare-receive namin. [Ang] laking naitulong sa pamilya ko.” (The TES we received was such a big deal), says TES grantee Enriquez. He intends to take up law later.
These scholars are among the half a million students who have been awarded a TES. Over 1.6 million students get free tuition. And there also are 300,000 Tulong Dunong beneficiaries.
De Vera visited Labong, Enriquez and Nunez in their homes.
Now comes Tulong Dunong and other subsidies
Although the Tulong Dunong Program was put into place under TES (TDP-TES) in AY 2020-2021, the figure goes up every year. When the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. started, Tulong Dunong beneficiaries were almost 200,000. That figure has since doubled. The CHED Tulong Dunong Scholarship Program assists aspiring scholars, including 4Ps beneficiaries (or the poorest of the poor) in accessing higher education.
Currently, almost 800,000 young Filipinos in both public and private universities receive the Tertiary Education Subsidy and are in Tulong Dunong program. The grants cover the Tuition Fee and Other School Fees (TOSF) and day-to-day expenses of the students, such as transportation, food, and book allowances.
“To all of the [scholars], please continue your education. Get that degree. Fight for that degree. I am one of those who dreamt of earning a degree, and was helped by [Chair de Vera], CHED and UniFAST to finish my studies,” says Reynan.
Tipasal shares a message of encouragement to her fellow grantees: ”Sa kabila ng lahat ng nangyari sa buhay ko, isa lang ang pinaka-natutunan ko. Ito ay ipagpatuloy na paglaban sa kabila ng pagsubok na dumating at may determinasyon sa bawat hakbang patungo sa aking pangarap. Kaibigan, pagsubok lang yan! Kayang-kaya natin ‘yang malampasan. Madapa ka man, bangon! At muling lumaban para sa pangarap.” (Despite everything that has happened in my life, I have learned only one thing. It is to continue fighting despite the trials that come and be determined with every step to reaching my dream. Friend, that’s just a test! We can overcome it. Even if you fall, rise again! Fight for your dream), Tipasal said.
More good news is coming. “We have been able to sustain the funding for free higher education every year. It increased significantly this year. And we will increase the level of scholarships for next year because the budget that we have for scholarship programs was doubled upon the instruction of the President, [who] promised to sustain free education at the tertiary level,” the CHED Chair said.
He added, “Meron tayong targets d’yan every year. Tumataas. At sinisigurado natin na ‘yung pondo ay tuloy-tuloy ding tumataas.” (Every year, we set targets for the funds to increase. We make sure that the funds keep increasing).
What was once a pipe dream for many of the country’s poorest students is slowly becoming a reality – to finish college and rise above the poverty that hinders them.
