Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act

Sitar ci TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session 25 JUL 14 AT :10 SENATE S. No. - Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 7 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT" EXPLANATORY NOTE During the Seventeenth Congress, the Legislature enacted a landmark statute to address the low participation rate in tertiary education, particularly among poor and low-income households. Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) Act", exempts from payment of tuition and other school fees all Filipino students who intend to pursue a bachelor's degree, certificate degree, or any comparable undergraduate degree in any public higher education institution (HEI) or any post-secondary TVET leading to non-degree certificate or diploma programs offered by any state-run technical-vocational institution (TVI). In addition to the provision of free tuition in public HEIS, UAQTE Act also provides financial assistance to qualified students to ease the burden of educational expenses through the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) Program. The TES Program covers tuition and other fees in private HEIs; allowances for books, transportation, board and lodging, and others; allowances for persons with disabilities; and allowances for professional licensure exams. Under the prevailing system, the TES program uses the Listahanan Database of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to identify the beneficiaries of the TES Program, but with the exception of students enrolled in areas without public HEIs. While such exception aligns with the twin intentions of acknowledging the role of the private sector in the education system and allowing TES beneficiaries to attend school without leaving their residences, such exception also created a situation wherein non-poor students residing in places with no public HEl could qualify for the subsidy at the expense of students from poor households residing in localities with

public HEIs. This appears to have been the case since 2020, wherein more than half of TES beneficiaries qualified in the TES program due to their place of residence and not necessarily because of their socioeconomic circumstances. This bill seeks to remedy this predicament by ensuring better and more equitable allocation of government educational subsidies. The bill amends Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10931 to remove the prioritization exception of areas with no public HEIs, harmonize education and training programs with identified national development goals, authorize the government to determine the amount of subsidy and the eligibility requirements of the TES program, and ensure the timely release of TES benefits to qualified beneficiaries. Additionally, the bill allows HEls and TVis to waive admission or examination fees and other similar expenses imposed on TES beneficiaries, and guarantees the timely release of TES benefits until the completion of education or technical program so long as the TES beneficiaries concerned comply with the retention and residency requirements of the HEis where they are enrolled in. These interventions will strengthen not only the ability of the government to prioritize students from poor and low-income households in the grant of TES benefits, but also the ability of TES beneficiaries to complete their chosen programs. Ultimately, this bill will further improve the TES as an educational program that is vital not only in reducing poverty and inequality, but also in realizing other national development objectives. In line with the foregoing, the swift passage of this bill is earnestly sought. FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session 25 JUL 14 011:10 SENATE S. No. — Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 7 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

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

2 Quality Tertiary Education Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: "Sec. 7. TES for Filipino Students. - To support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof, a TES is hereby established IN ALL SUCS, LUCS, PRIVATE HEIS, AND TVIS for all Filipino students who [shall] enroll in the undergraduate, post-secondary TERTIARY EDUCATION OR TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL TRAINING program[s] [of SUEs, LUCs, private HEls and all TVIs] of their choice. The TES shall be administered by the UniFAST Board and the amount necessary to fund the TES shall be included in the RESPECTIVE budgets of the CHED and the TESDA: Provided, That prioritization shall be given to QUALIFIED students in the following order: (a) students who are part of households included in the UPDATED OR MOST RECENT Listahanan [2.0], ranked according to the estimated per capita household income; and (b) students WHO ARE not part of the UPDATED OR MOST RECENT Listahanan [2.0], 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 LUC campus: PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE PRIORITIZATION OF TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ENROLMENT OF STUDENTS IN EDUCATIONAL OR TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMPLIANT WITH THE MINIMUM QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS OF THE CHED AND TESDA, AND THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR ACHIEVING NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS AS MAY BE JOINTLY IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMY, PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT (DEPDEV), CHED, AND TESDA IN CONSULTATION WITH THE OTHER RELEVANT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND INSTRUMENTALITIES: PROVIDED, FURTHERMORE, THAT THE UNIFAST BOARD, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CHED, TESDA, AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONCERNED, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT, SHALL DETERMINE THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR TES BENEFICIARIES, AND THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDIES TO BE GRANTED TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE ACTUAL COST OF TUITION AND FIXED ALLOWANCES PER EDUCATION OR TRAINING PROGRAM AND THE PRIORITIZATION OF EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING PROGRAMS IDENTIFIED JOINTLY BY THE DEPDEV, CHED, AND TESDA: PROVIDED, FINALLY, THAT THE CHED AND THE TESDA SHALL ENSURE THE TIMELY RELEASE OF SUBSIDY TO TES BENEFICIARIES AND/OR HEIS AND TVIS. "TO SUPPORT THE COST OF TERTIARY EDUCATION OR ANY PART OR PORTION THEREOF, [F]the TES may, among others, Land to support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof,] 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 SUC or state-run TVI in their respective areas; "(b) [An] A[alllowance for books, SCHOOL supplies, transportation TO AND FROM SCHOOL, and [miscellaneous personal expenses, including} a reasonable allowance for the documented rental or purchase of a [personal computer or laptop] DESKTOP OR PORTABLE COMPUTERS and other education-related expenses, IF APPLICABLE; "(c) An allowance for room and board costs incurred by the student IF APPLICABLE; "(d) xxx; "(e) xxx. "TO FURTHER REDUCE BARRIERS TO ENTRY, SUCS, LUCS, AND PRIVATE HEIS AND TVIS MAY WAIVE ADMISSION OR EXAMINATION FEES AND OTHER SIMILAR EXPENSES IMPOSED ON TES BENEFICIARIES. "ALL TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SUCH BENEFITS OR SUBSIDY 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. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive

order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended 4 accordingly.

Sec. 3. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately after its publication

6 in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,