CHED’s TES program face scrutiny as 500,000 students miss out on college aid

Trisha Anne Segumban

The Commission in Higher Education’s (CHED) Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program comes under fire after the data presented shows that more than 500,000 students have not received college aid. 

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) raised the concern during a joint House hearing on September 2, citing that many graduates from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) families are unable to access the subsidy. 

EDCOM 2 explained that Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which established TES, was designed to help underprivileged students pursue higher education, but the program has shifted away from its target beneficiaries. 

In 2018, 75 percent of TES recipients came from the poorest households, but the share dropped to only 23 percent in 2023. 

Meanwhile, students in private universities without nearby public colleges rose from 26 percent in 2018 to 69 percent in 2022. 

“We call on CHED to prioritize the poorest of the poor and to work closely with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Education (DepEd) in reaching out to 4Ps graduates,” said EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee. 

EDCOM 2 Commissioners, namely Senator Bam Aquino, Representative Roman Romulo and Senator Loren Legarda, have filed bills to amend RA 10931. 

The amendments seek to guarantee slots for the poorest high school graduates entering CHED-recognized institutions. 

Numerous concerns surfaced over the reduction of TES subsidies from P60,000 to P13,000. 

“With P60,000, we already had a high attrition rate—so now with P30,000, I would assume attrition will be even higher,” said EDCOM 2 Commissioner Representative Steve Solom. 

Yee added that the cut in subsidies narrows the course options of poor students. 

“The only program they can realistically apply for using TES subsidy now is teacher education,” Yee stated. 

“We are essentially saying, if you’re poor, you can dream of going to college—but only if you want to be a teacher,” he added. 

EDCOM 2 also urged CHED and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) to implement their duties under RA 10607 or the Amended Insurance Code , including identifying beneficiaries and conducting tracer studies.