STUDENTS from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households will be given top priority in receiving government tertiary education subsidies under the proposed bill amending the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA), following the approval of the amendment to RA 10931 by the Bicameral Conference Committee on Monday.
The measure seeks to strengthen Republic Act No. 10931 by expanding access to financial assistance, ensuring TES support for all 4Ps graduates who gain admission to any government-recognized TVET or higher education institution.
EDCOM 2’s Final Report showed that despite the success of the Free Higher Education Law in increasing college participation among poor households, the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) has increasingly failed to reach the students it was originally intended to prioritize since 2018. EDCOM found that the share of TES beneficiaries coming from the poorest households dropped from 70.73% in 2018 to just 22.89% in 2022, while only 1.23% or 4,746 out of 384,388, 4Ps senior high school completers were able to access TES as first-year beneficiaries in Academic Year 2024-2025.
EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo pointed to the disconnect between the promise of free college and the reality faced by many poor students.
“The commitment, the promise to the Filipino poor but deserving students especially those in the 4Ps program is but an illusion. Php 20,000 a year is impossible to make. So unahin muna natin sana yung 4Ps to be able to give them a PES amount sufficient to be able to finish a year,” Romulo said.
The EDCOM 2 Final Report likewise found that the amount of TES has a direct impact on students’ ability to complete their studies. The subsidy was reduced in 2022 from Php 60,000 for students in private higher education institutions and Php 40,000 for those in state and local universities and colleges to Php 20,000 annually, before being partially restored for private institutions. The Commission warned that insufficient support increases the likelihood that students will discontinue their studies.
EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Loren Legarda, also acknowledged that the current subsidy levels no longer reflect the actual cost of pursuing higher education.
“Even the amount that you mentioned, it’s no longer realistic,” she said, referring to the current TES grant level. “We need to ensure that learners from 4Ps households are given top priority in the grant of tertiary education subsidy,” Legarda said.
Subsidy expanded to include private higher education
Beyond strengthening TES, the bicameral panel also approved the creation of a Private Education Assistance program, recognizing the important role of private higher and technical-vocational education institutions in expanding access to tertiary education. Through this new program, enrollees in private HEIs and TVIs in government-identified priority programs shall receive a grant from the government.
EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Jude Acidre said the intention sought is to ensure that students in private institutions are not left behind.
“At the center of our work is the expansion of the tertiary education subsidy. We also proposed a private education subsidy for students enrolled in private higher education institutions comparable to the free higher education enjoyed by students in state universities and colleges,” Acidre said.
Senator Bam Aquino, EDCOM 2 Commissioner and principal author of the original Free Tertiary Education Law, emphasized that support for private school students was always envisioned under the law.
“When we were drafting 10931, there was a commitment to also support the private schools with the free college law,” Aquino said. “We are in support of this provision so we can go back to the original intent which is to support our students in public and private universities with support for their college tuition,” he added.
The reconciled bill is now set for ratification by both chambers of Congress before being transmitted to the President for signature.
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