Nearly 1 Million Students Could Benefit as CHEd Seeks P17 Billion
CHED – The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is making a fresh multibillion-peso appeal to ensure thousands of students can continue accessing tuition-free college education.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is asking Congress to provide an additional P17 billion in the proposed 2027 national budget to sustain the government’s free higher education program for about 940,000 incoming students.
CHEd Chairperson Shirley Agrupis raised the funding request during a Senate committee on finance hearing on the commission’s proposed budget. She emphasized that the additional amount is needed to ensure that qualified students can continue to benefit from free tuition under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) program.
“We can no longer reduce it. We need P17 billion to support the UAQTE of 940,000 incoming students,” Agrupis said during the budget deliberations.
The UAQTE program covers free tuition for eligible students enrolled in participating state universities and colleges (SUCs), providing financial relief to families who might otherwise struggle to afford tertiary education.
For 2027, CHEd originally requested P70.2 billion. However, only P35.4 billion was included in the National Expenditure Program, creating a difference of P34.8 billion between the agency’s initial request and the proposed allocation.
Agrupis explained that CHEd subsequently reviewed and adjusted its budget proposal after comparing its projections with information from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The recalibration was also made in response to guidance from Congress.
Following the review, CHEd lowered its revised budget request to P27.46 billion, taking into consideration the government’s limited fiscal resources.
Priority 1: Critical/non-deferrable — P17.05 billion
Priority 2: Strategic Higher Education Investments — P2.85 billion
Priority 3: Institutional Requirements — P7.56 billion
The revised amount was divided into three major priority areas. The first, identified as Critical or Non-Deferrable, requires P17.05 billion. The second, Strategic Higher Education Investments, is allocated P2.85 billion, while Institutional Requirements account for P7.56 billion.
“The one that is truly critical, the one we would really fight for and that would make many people cry [if not provided], is priority one,” Agrupis said.
During the hearing, Sen. Joel Villanueva, who led the proceedings, also asked how many of the 940,000 students expected to benefit from the UAQTE program are members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Agrupis said approximately 230,000 of the students are 4Ps beneficiaries, highlighting the program’s potential importance to low-income families seeking access to higher education.
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