Department of Budget and Management Approves PHP3.84 Billion for Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education

Manila – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has sanctioned the release of PHP3.84 billion to fund the government’s Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education – Tertiary Education Subsidy (UAQTE-TES) program. The financial injection aims to support 141,000 eligible tertiary education students across the country.

According to a news release by the Philippines News Agency, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the utilization of this fund as additional backing for the UAQTE-TES under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The allocated budget will cover CHED’s payables to various private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in municipalities and cities without State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) for the academic year 2021-2022.

As of December 31, 2022, the CHED-Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF) was reported to have a balance of PHP10.967 billion under Automatic Appropriations. The DBM also released PHP799.098 million for various CHED programs and projects on February 3, 2023, and an additional PHP1 billion for the Student Monetary Assistance for Recovery and Transition (SMART) Program on August 29 the same year. After these disbursements, the estimated balance of the fund will be at PHP5.33 billion.

The DBM statement further indicated that the Notice of Allocation (NCA) can be requested upon obligation, subject to the submission of a Special Budget Request accompanied by complete and consistent supporting documents.

Budget Secretary Pangandaman commented that the fund release would particularly benefit those in the marginalized sectors, stating, “Creating a progressive change in our society can only be achieved if we start to believe in the capabilities of these young people.”

The funding aligns with the mandates of Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the UAQTE Act, which aims to provide universal access to quality tertiary education by waiving tuition and other school fees in SUCs, LUCs, and state-run technical-vocational institutions (TVIs). The law also sets up the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and Student Loan Program, bolstering the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education.