MANILA — Around 5.7 million students in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) are set to benefit from the Free College Law under the Senate version of the 2026 national budget, Senator Bam Aquino said.

During the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) budget hearing, Aquino said the Senate earmarked ₱26 billion for SUCs, covering 5.2 million students under Republic Act 10931, or the Free College Law. Meanwhile, ₱6.7 billion was allocated for LUCs to support 500,000 students, and ₱4.4 billion was set aside to address prior-year deficiencies of SUCs. This brings the total Free College Law funding to ₱67 billion.

“There are 5.7 million students in our SUCs and LUCs, nakakatanggap ng libreng kolehiyo. And that’s a number we can all be proud of. Madaming pamilya po diyan, natutulungan,” Aquino, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education and principal sponsor of the Free College Law, said.

Aside from free tuition, the Senate also allocated ₱27.3 billion for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and ₱2.7 billion for the Tulong Dunong Program (TDP). These programs assist financially disadvantaged students with education-related costs such as food, books, and living expenses, including those who study in private colleges and universities.

For 2026, approximately 1.5 million students from both public and private institutions will benefit from TES and TDP, including 490,000 students under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Allowances will range from ₱15,000–₱27,000, depending on the student’s category.

“Malaking bagay ito kasi marami sa mga estudyante natin nangangailangan ng dagdag tulong para makapagtapos,” Aquino said, noting that 70 percent of students in SUCs and LUCs finish college, the highest in the region.

He also urged that the list of TES beneficiaries be posted in all schools for transparency and to ensure funds reach their intended recipients.

“I think we’re moving towards an age of more transparency. Palagay ko iyon naman talaga iyong hinahabol ng taumbayan ngayon at hindi maliit na pera ito. Thirty billion po ito, so maganda na naka-publish ito,” Aquino added.