Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act

Sultaic Offiep of the Sctretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 25 AUG 20 P5:39 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S.B. No. 1245 INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS AN ACT ENHANCING THE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931 EXPLANATORY NOTE Eight years have passed since the enactment of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) law, which aimed to make higher education more accessible by implementing Free Higher Education (FHE) in State and Local Universities and Colleges, while also creating the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) to help cover tuition and living expenses. Although the law is well-intentioned and has been beneficial to many Filipinos, the law must be further strengthened to guarantee that higher education truly becomes accessible for all. Recent findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) surfaced that not all TES beneficiaries come from impoverished households'. The share of TES grantees from the poorest households decreased from 74.24% in Audit Year (AY) 2018-2019 to 30.74% in AY 2022-20232. In light of this, the EDCOM 2 recommended that the selection of TES beneficiaries should be based on economic need 3. Therefore, this measure ensures that the most impoverished students are prioritized in benefitting from the TES program. The EDCOM 2 also found that the reduction of the TES grant from P30,000 to P10,000 per semester reduces the choices of undergraduate programs that students can enrol in and places additional financial burden on students and their families. This bill guarantees that students will receive at least P30,000 per semester to provide sufficient support for their pursuit of higher education. Moreover, in light of rising costs, this bill includes an allowance for meals and transportation to and from school. Furthermore, the UAQTE law has faced persistent implementation challenges. Over the past few years, hundreds of students have sent their complaints to the Office 1 https://edcom2.gov.ph/media/2025/01/EDCOM-2-Year-2-Report-Fixing-the-Foundations-2025.pdf 2 Ibid 3 Ibid 4 Ibid

Senator RISA HONTIVEROS abractieros - saraguel In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. institutionalizing mechanisms to address issues in the law's implementation. nigher education more accessible to all-especially the most impoverished-and by In sum, this Act enhances the UAQTE Law by introducing reforms that make unpaid obligations shall be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act. education institutions to sustain their operations, this bill ensures that deficiencies and 2022-2024. To ensure guaranteed funding for our technical-vocational and higher of State Universities and Colleges, FHE deficiencies reached approximately P9.0B from State Universities and Colleges. Based on data provided by the Philippine Association Another recurring issue is the accumulation of FHE deficiencies experienced by JAQTE within both CHED and TESDA. documents. This measure also institutionalizes accessible grievance committees on verification unit, with guaranteed funding, within CHEDROs to efficiently process committee. This bill amends the UAQTE law by establishing a separate validation and to handle the high volume of grantees and the lack of an accessible grievance issues surfaced, including the CHED Regional Offices' (CHEDROS) absorptive capacity the CHED Task Force on the implementation of the UAQTE law, multiple recurring regarding the Commission on Higher Education's budget and my office's presence in and placing them under financial uncertainty. After extensive budget deliberations of Senator Risa Hontiveros about TES delays, pushing some to stop their education

StatE olier of the cracy TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 25 AUG 20 P5:39 First Regular Session ) RECEIVED BY: SENATE S.B. No. 1245 INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS AN ACT ENHANCING THE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931 Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Philippines assembled:

Section 1. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10931 or the "Universal Access

to Quality Tertiary Education Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: "SECTION 7. TES for Filipino Students. - To support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof, a TES is hereby established for all Filipino students who shall enroll in undergraduate post-secondary programs of SUCs, LUCs, private HEIs and all TVIs. The TES shall be administered by the UniFAST Board and the amount necessary to fund the TES shall be included in the budgets of the CHED and the TESDA: Provided, That prioritization shall be given to students in the following order: (a) students who are part of households included in the UPDATED OR MOST RECENT Listahanan, ranked according to the estimated per capita household income; and (b) students not part of the Listahanan, ranked according to estimated per capita household income based on submitted documentation of proof of income to be determined by the UniFAST Board.[: Provided, further, That such prioritization shall not apply to Filipino students in cities and municipalities with no existing Suc or LUe campus. J "THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY SHALL BE NO LESS THAN THIRTY THOUSAND PESOS (P30,000.00) PER SEMESTER. THE AMOUNT SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE UNIFAST BOARD. THE UNIFAST BOARD SHALL PERIODICALLY REVIEW THE SUBSIDY AMOUNT EVERY TWO (2) YEARS AND ADJUST IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH INFLATION RATES AND OTHER RELEVANT ECONOMIC INDICATORS. TO SUPPORT THE COST OF TERTIARY EDUCATION OR ANY PART OR PORTION THEREOF, [Tithe TES may, among others, [and to support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion therof,] cover the following:

(a) Tuition and other school fees in private HEIs, and private or LGU-operated TVIs which shall be equivalent to the tuition and other school fees of the nearest SUG or state-run TVI in their respective areas; (b) [An] A[a]llowance for MEALS, books, SCHOOL supplies, transportation TO AND FROM SCHOOL, and [miscellaneous personal expenses, including al reasonable allowance for the documented rental or purchase of a [personal computer or laptop] DESKTOP OR PORTABLE COMPUTER and other education-related expenses; (c) An allowance for room and board costs incurred by the student; (d) xxx. (e) xxx. ALL TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL NOT RECEIVE LESS THAN THE INITIAL AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY OR BENEFIT GRANTED TO THEM UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THEIR RESPECTIVE UNDERGRADUATE, POST- SECONDARY TERTIARY EDUCATION OR TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS: PROVIDED, THAT THE TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL COMPLY WITH THE RETENTION AND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE HEIS AND TVIS."

Sec. 2. A new section 9 shall be inserted as follows, with the provisions below

it renumbered accordingly: "SECTION 9. STRENGTHENING THE VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION CAPACITY OF CHED REGIONAL OFFICES TO IMPLEMENT THE UAQTE AND STUFAPS PROGRAMS. - EACH CHEDRO SHALL ESTABLISH A VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION UNIT WITH SUFFICIENT PERSONNEL TO REVIEW, VALIDATE, AND VERIFY THE DOCUMENTARY SUBMISSIONS FROM HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND/OR STUDENTS TO ENSURE ITS ADHERENCE TO EXISTING LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS OF THE RELEVANT STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (STUFAPS) AND THE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION."

Sec. 3. A new section 10 shall be inserted as follows, with the provisions below

it renumbered accordingly: "SECTION 10. UAQTE GRIEVANCE MECHANISM. - A GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED WITHIN BOTH THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED IN THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING AND RESOLVING DISPUTES OR COMPLAINTS BY STUDENTS AND HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN RELATION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS LAW. THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE SHALL INCLUDE REPRESENTATION FROM UNIFAST. THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED IN THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING AND RESOLVING DISPUTES OR COMPLAINTS BY STUDENTS AND TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN RELATION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS LAW. THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE SHALL INCLUDE REPRESENTATION FROM UNIFAST. THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SHALL ENSURE THAT INFORMATION ABOUT THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEES AND ITS PROCESSES ARE ACCESSIBLE."

Sec. 4. Section 15 of Republic Act No. 10931 or the "Enhanced Universal Access

to Quality Tertiary Education Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 15. Appropriations. - The amounts necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, specifically Section 4, 5, 7 [and], 8, AND 9 shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) and shall be appropriated under SUCs, CHED and TESDA in accordance with the provisions of this Act: Provided, That an amount equivalent to not more than three percent (3%) of the TES and student loan program for tertiary education provided under this Act may be used as administrative cost under the UniFAST. PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS, SUCH SUMS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO PAY FOR ANY UNPAID OBLIGATIONS OR PRIOR YEAR DEFICIENCIES INCURRED SHALL ALSO BE APPROPRIATED IN THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, TO ENSURE THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE BENEFITS GUARANTEED UNDER THIS ACT."

Sec. 5. Separability Clause - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or

unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

Sec. 6. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, executive orders or rules and

regulations contrary to or inconsistent 22 with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or 25 in any newspaper of the general circulation. Approved.