CHED orders return service program for scholars

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has ordered government-funded colleges and universities to come up with return service programs for student-beneficiaries of the free higher education law.

All students who will benefit from Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law are mandated to render return service while they are in college, according to CHED officer-in-charge J. Prospero de Vera.

“We will let the respective universities determine the appropriate return service system. Some of them, for example, will help the university in its community outreach programs,” De Vera said in a press conference last week.

“In other universities, they will convert their student assistant programs into a return service system. They will use student assistants for their library facilities, to help in the cleanliness of the campus. We will give maximum flexibility to the universities to determine their return service system,” he added.

De Vera allayed fears that the return service program would be an additional burden for the students, saying these will not be overwhelming for them.

“They are now being paid for by taxpayers’ money and it is their responsibility to give back to the community or to give back to the nation. Don’t be so afraid of it. It’s just putting value to the subsidy that the taxpayers are giving,” he said.

Last week, the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) board, the multi-agency body tasked to implement the law, released the implementing rules and regulations of the free higher education law.

A total of 113 state universities and colleges and 78 local universities and colleges across the country are covered in the first year of the implementation of the law.

Also covered are technical-vocational programs offered in schools accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Some P40 billion has been allocated for the implementation of the free higher education policy, including the provision of tertiary education subsidy for public and private college students and the creation of a national student loan program.

De Vera said the law is the most important and largest landmark legislation for higher education in Philippine history.