Senator Bam Aquino assured that funding will be available in the 2026 national budget for the 3.5 million beneficiaries of the Free College Law across state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), and private educational institutions.
Aquino, the principal sponsor of Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, said he is determined to further increase the number of beneficiaries of the landmark law he authored during his term as Senate Committee on Education chairperson.
“We will push for more scholarships and ito pong 3.5 million students na may suporta sa gobyerno, we will do our best na itaas pa ito,” Aquino said during the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) budget hearing.
At present, around 2.2 million students in SUCs and LUCs benefit from RA 10931, while approximately 1.3 million students in private colleges and universities receive aid through the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) under the same law.
Aquino also urged CHED to release a clear schedule and target list of scholars to help the Senate properly monitor allocations and ensure sufficient funding for the law’s long-term implementation.
“Ang maganda siguro sa TES, we look at how many beneficiaries iyong nais nating maabot para guided tayo hindi lang alokasyon ng budget pero iyong dami talaga ng benepisyaryo,” he noted.
“We want to see the amount for the succeeding years kasi palaki nang palaki iyan. We want to see kung sustainable ito moving forward.”
The senator likewise called on CHED to simplify the guidelines for both TES and TDP, emphasizing the importance of accessibility for students in both public and private institutions.
“Iyong mga nasa poverty or slightly above the poverty line, kailangan pa rin ng tulong. I’ve said this from the first time na binuo iyong RA 10931, iyon pa rin po ang posisyon ko. Marami pong nangangailangan,” Aquino said. “Hindi masama na mabigyan ng tulong iyong mga kabataan sa SUC at LUC, at iyong kabataang nangangailangan sa private universities na alam nating napakarami rin naman,” he added.