Gatchalian wants students from low-income households prioritized for college subsidies

Senator Win Gatchalian wants students from low-income households, including those listed under Listahanan 2.0, to be prioritized as beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act No. 10931) or the free higher education law. Listahanan is an information management system that identifies who and where the country's poor are.

Gatchalian previously flagged the crowding out of students from low-income households in the pool of TES beneficiaries, which he said is not consistent with the intention of the free higher education law. The TES provides additional funding for education-related costs, including books, transportation, board and lodging, and allowances for disability-related expenses, among others.

"We observed that for TES grantees, beneficiaries from places where there are no State Colleges and Universities or SUCs and Local Universities and Colleges or LUCs are slowly eating up the share of the Listahanan grantees. We aim to reverse this trend and stay true to the spirit of the law, wherein the Listahanan beneficiaries and low-income families will be prioritized," said Gatchalian during his interpellation of the 2024 budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

As of the 2nd semester of Academic Year (AY) 2022-2023, 79% of TES grantees are students from areas with no SUCs and LUCs, leaving only 21% from Listahanan, and 0% from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries. In 2018, 68% of TES grantees were from Listahanan, 25% were from areas with no SUCs and LUCs, and 3% were from 4Ps beneficiaries. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18.

The Senate Committee on Finance has accepted an amendment that Gatchalian proposed on Special Provision no. 3 of CHED's proposed 2024 budget. The amended special provision now stipulates that in the selection of new TES grantees, the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) shall prioritize students under Listahanan 2.0, and students from low-income households who are not part of Listahanan 2.0. These students will be required to submit proof of income to UniFAST, whose board administers the TES.

Through this special provision, Gatchalian seeks to reaffirm the intention of Section 7 of the free higher education law.

Gatchalian: Mag-aaral mula sa low-income households gawing prayoridad sa tulong pinansyal sa kolehiyo

Nais ni Senador Win Gatchalian na maging prayoridad ang mga mag-aaral na nasa low-income households o yung kabilang sa Listahanan 2.0 sa mga magiging benepisyaryo ng Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) sa ilalim ng Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act No. 10931) o ang free higher education law.

Matatandaang pinuna ni Gatchalian na paunti nang paunti ang bilang ng mga mag-aaral na mula sa low-income households na nagiging benepisyaryo ng TES, bagay na aniya'y salungat sa intensyon ng free higher education law. Ang TES ay isang uri ng tulong pinansyal na maaaring gamitin sa mga gastusing may kinalaman sa edukasyon tulad ng mga pambili ng aklat, transportasyon, board and lodging, at allowances para sa mga disability-related expenses.

"Nakita natin na sa mga TES grantees, mas dumarami na ang mga benepisyaryo mula sa mga lugar na walang State Universities and Colleges o SUCs at Local Universities and Colleges o LUCs. Nais nating itama ito at manatiling tapat sa intensyon ng batas na bigyang prayoridad ang mga benepisyaryo ng Listahanan at mga low-income families," ani Gatchalian sa kanyang interpellation sa Senado sa gitna ng deliberasyon sa pondo ng Commission on Higher Education o CHED.

Buhat nitong 2nd Semester ng Academic Year (AY) 2022-2023, 79% ng mga benepisyaryo ng TES ang mula sa mga lugar na walang State at Local Universities and Colleges (SUCs and LUCs), samantalang 21% lamang ang mula sa Listahanan, at 0% ang mula sa mga benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Noong 2018, 68% ng mga TES grantees ang mula sa Listahanan, 25% ang mula sa mga lugar na walang SUCs at LUCs, at 3% naman ang mula sa mga benepisyaryo ng 4Ps.

Ang Listahanan 2.0 ang sistema ng impormasyon na tumutukoy kung sino at saan ang mga nangangailangan sa bansa, habang ang 4Ps naman ay conditional cash grants sa mga tinaguriang 'poorest of the poor' upang iangat ang estado ng kalusugan at edukasyon ng mga batang hanggang 18 taong gulang.

Tinanggap ng Senate Committee on Finance ang panukalang pag-amyenda ni Gatchalian sa Special Provision no. 3 ng 2024 budget ng CHED. Batay sa panukala ni Gatchalian, bibigyang prayoridad ng Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) ang mga mag-aaral sa ilalim ng Listahanan 2.0 at mga mag-aaral mula sa low-income households na hindi bahagi ng Listahanan 2.0. Kakailanganing magsumite ng mga mag-aaral na ito ng proof of income sa UniFAST board na namamahala sa pamamahagi ng TES.

Sa pamamagitan ng special provision na ito, nais bigyang diin ni Gatchalian ang intensyon ng Section 7 ng free higher education law.