Gov’t releases P4.8-billion subsidy for state university students

MANILA, Philippines – The tertiary education subsidy (TES) for state university students worth P4.8 billion under the free higher education law has been released, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced on Sunday, December 23.

In a statement, CHED said the money has been distributed to students in 112 state universities and colleges (SUCs) and 78 local universities and colleges (LUCs).

The beneficiaries are each getting P40,000 per year, intended for books, transportation, supplies, and boarding fees.

What is the tertiary education subsidy? The TES differs from the free tuition scheme. It supports the cost of tertiary education by providing allowances for books, transportation, and supplies, among others.

Students from both public and private institutions can avail themselves of the TES.

The funds recently released, however, are only part of the P16 billion allotted for the program and were for students in SUCs and LUCs only.

CHED earlier said the P16-billion budget for the TES would cover some 300,000 students for school year 2018-2019.

The students chosen for the subsidy were prioritized based on the following:

• They are continuing beneficiaries of the Expanded Students’ Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation.
• They are enrolled in private colleges in cities or municipalities with no state or local university or college.
• They are included in the Listahanan 2.0 of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“Let us ensure the implementation of [the free higher education law] is executed promptly and benefit those that need it most,” CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said in the statement. – Rappler.com