MANILA – Students from households under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will be given top priority in receiving government tertiary education subsidies under proposed amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA), following the approval of the bicameral conference committee.

The measure seeks to strengthen Republic Act No. 10931 by widening access to financial assistance and ensuring that Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) support is extended to all 4Ps graduates who are admitted to any government-recognized technical-vocational or higher education institution.

Based on findings cited by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), while the free higher education law has increased college participation among low-income families, TES coverage has increasingly failed to reach its intended beneficiaries.

The report showed that the share of TES beneficiaries from the poorest households declined from 70.73% in 2018 to 22.89% in 2022. It also noted that only 1.23%, or 4,746 out of 384,388, 4Ps senior high school completers were able to access TES as first-year beneficiaries in Academic Year 2024–2025.

EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo pointed to what he described as a gap between policy intent and actual implementation.

“The commitment, the promise to the Filipino poor but deserving students especially those in the 4Ps program is but an illusion. Php 20,000 a year is impossible to make. So unahin muna natin sana yung 4Ps to be able to give them a PES amount sufficient to be able to finish a year,” Romulo said.

The commission also said the value of TES has a direct impact on students’ ability to complete their studies. It noted that the subsidy was reduced in 2022 from P60,000 for students in private higher education institutions and P40,000 for those in state universities and colleges to P20,000 annually, before being partially restored for private institutions. It added that insufficient support increases the risk of students discontinuing their education.

EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Sen. Loren Legarda also said current subsidy levels no longer reflect the actual cost of higher education.

“Even the amount that you mentioned, it’s no longer realistic,” she said, referring to the current TES grant level. “We need to ensure that learners from 4Ps households are given top priority in the grant of tertiary education subsidy,” Legarda said.

Subsidy expanded to include private higher education

Aside from strengthening TES targeting, the bicameral committee also approved the creation of a Private Education Assistance program, which aims to support students enrolled in private higher education institutions and technical-vvocational institutions in government-identified priority programs.

EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Jude Acidre said the measure seeks to ensure that students in private institutions are not left behind.

“At the center of our work is the expansion of the tertiary education subsidy. We also proposed a private education subsidy for students enrolled in private higher education institutions comparable to the free higher education enjoyed by students in state universities and colleges,” Acidre said.

Sen. Bam Aquino, EDCOM 2 commissioner and principal author of the original Free Tertiary Education Law, said support for private school students was part of the law’s original intent.

“When we were drafting 10931, there was a commitment to also support the private schools with the free college law,” Aquino said. “We are in support of this provision so we can go back to the original intent which is to support our students in public and private universities with support for their college tuition,” he added.

The reconciled version of the bill will still be subject to ratification by both chambers of Congress before being transmitted to the President for approval.