MANILA – Qualified students pursuing college or technical-vocational education at private institutions may soon receive government assistance for tuition and other school fees under a new law signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12325, or the “An Act Enhancing the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education,” on Friday, providing a framework for government funding to partially cover tuition and other fees of qualified learners enrolled in private higher education institutions (HEIs) and technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).

The assistance will be provided through the Private Education Assistance (PEA), which seeks to strengthen cooperation between the public and private education sectors and expand access to priority programs for disadvantaged students.

Under Section 7-B of RA 12325, the PEA will support poor and deserving learners seeking to enroll in programs recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and registered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Beneficiaries will be identified based on their household per capita income, using the most recent data from the government’s official poverty assessment system or other verifiable proof of income as determined by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Board.

Applicants must also be enrolled in programs identified as priorities by CHED, TESDA and the Department of Education and Development (DEPDev).

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) said the law strengthens the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act by more precisely targeting financial assistance to poor and disadvantaged learners while expanding government support to students in private HEIs and TVIs.

Under the new law, private schools seeking to participate in the PEA program must meet quality standards set by the UniFAST Board. These may include program accreditation, licensure examination performance, school facilities and other quality assurance requirements.

The UniFAST Board will also conduct a study to determine the average cost of tertiary education in government-recognized private colleges, universities and technical-vocational institutions.

The results will serve as the basis for determining the amount of assistance qualified students may receive under the PEA. The amount will be reviewed every two years to account for inflation and changes in education costs.

Before the program is implemented nationwide, the UniFAST Board, through CHED and TESDA, will conduct a pilot program for up to three years, subject to the availability of funds.

RA 12325 also establishes a prioritization scheme for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), giving preference to learners from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and those facing systemic barriers to accessing or completing tertiary education.

Priority beneficiaries include learners from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, solo parents and their dependents, first-generation tertiary education learners, and students from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

First-generation tertiary education learners are defined as students who are the first in their immediate families to attend college or university and whose parents or guardians have not completed a bachelor’s or college degree.

The law also provides for assistance to qualified TES beneficiaries and allows for the possible expansion of support to cover internships, Related Learning Experience (RLE) and other allowances for economically disadvantaged students facing additional education-related expenses.

RA 12325 was consolidated from Senate Bill No. 1894 and House Bill No. 8476. Both chambers had earlier approved the measure, with Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and House Speaker Faustino Dy III signing the respective enrolled bills on June 17 and June 3, 2026.

The law is intended to extend government-backed tertiary education assistance beyond state-run institutions and provide disadvantaged students with additional opportunities to pursue higher education and technical-vocational training in qualified private institutions.