CHED budget cut to affect 350,000 students

MANILA, Philippines — More than 350,000 scholars may be affected by the proposed P3-billion budget cut in the financial assistance program for college students of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

CHED officer-in-charge J. Prospero de Vera said 359,459 students receiving P12,000 per year will be affected should the budget for “Tulong Dunong” financial assistance program decrease from P4.1 billion to the proposed P1.1 billion next year.

“The impact would be less on scholars who are enrolled in public universities because tuition and miscellaneous are already free,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“But for those who are enrolled in private universities, they will have no more assistance from the government to offset their tuition costs. The ones who will be affected are really the scholars who are enrolled in private universities,” he added.

Asked why the Department of Budget and Management reduced the funding for the program, De Vera said there was a belief that there is no need for Tulong Dunong because of the implementation of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law.

The law waives tuition and miscellaneous fees in state and CHED-recognized local universities and colleges.

It also establishes the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), which aims to provide financial support to college students, including those in private universities.

While affected Tulong Dunong scholars may apply for the TES, the CHED official said there is no assurance that they would qualify as it has a different set of qualifications.

The TES prioritizes those belonging to poor households and private university students in areas without existing state or local universities and colleges.

“If they qualify under tertiary education subsidy, they will be OK. They will now get up to P40,000 per year (for public university students and P60,000 for those in private schools),” De Vera said.

“But we don’t know how many of the Tulong Dunong scholars will qualify under TES. It is possible that they will feel the impact of no more Tulong Dunong because they will not qualify,” he added.

De Vera said they have brought the matter to lawmakers who expressed concern over the cuts.

“We want to continue helping the current scholars and we are hopeful that this can be addressed in the budget hearings in the House and the Senate,” he said.

Aside from Tulong Dunong, CHED has also lost funding for the scholarship programs for medical students and children of rebel returnees in the proposed 2019 budget.

Meanwhile, funding for the implementation of the free higher education law would increase by as much as P11 billion if the proposed budget is passed without revisions.