MANILA – Students undergoing internships and related learning experiences (RLE) will soon receive financial support under the Free College Law following recent amendments, Sen. Bam Aquino said.

Aquino said the inclusion of subsidies was approved during the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 1894 and House Bill No. 8476, expanding the coverage of Republic Act No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

“Sa ilalim ng mga amyendang ito sa ating Free College Law, masisiguro na nating may tulong pinansiyal ang mga estudyanteng sumasailalim sa internships at RLE,” Aquino said, noting that he is a co-author of Senate Bill No. 1894 and a member of the bicameral conference committee.

He said many students incur additional costs related to internships and RLE, which add to their financial burden alongside tuition and other school-related expenses.

“Mahalaga ito upang mabawasan ang gastusin ng mga kabataan at kanilang mga pamilya habang kinukumpleto nila ang kanilang mga requirement sa pag-aaral. Makagagaan ito sa kanilang pasanin lalo ngayong mataas ang presyo ng bilihin,” he added.

Aquino said the provision supports his earlier commitment to institutionalize financial assistance for nursing and allied health sciences students, who often face significant RLE-related expenses estimated between P20,000 and P80,000.

He also noted that he secured P500 million in the 2026 national budget to help cover RLE expenses for allied health students during his term as chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education.

Together with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Aquino recently launched an online portal for applications and requirements for the Allied Health Experiential Assistance for Deserving Students (AHEAD) Grant, established under CHED Memorandum Order No. 11, Series of 2026.

Under the program, around 19,000 nursing and allied health sciences students are expected to receive a one-time financial grant of P25,000 for their RLE expenses.

Covered courses include Nursing, Medical Technology or Medical Laboratory Science, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Pharmacy, Speech Language Pathology, Public Health, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Doctor of Optometry, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.