About half a million of the Philippines’ poorest high school graduates have been left without government support to pursue college education, despite existing subsidy programs intended to help them.
This was reported by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) during a joint briefing Tuesday before the House Committees on Higher and Technical Education and on Basic Education and Culture.
EDCOM II Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said that in 2021, a total of 501,704 senior high school graduates came from families under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
That same academic year (AY), however, only 495 of them received the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), a flagship program under the Republic Act (RA) 10931, also known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or simply the free tuition law.
Worse, no new application slots were opened from AY 2021 to 2022 until AY 2023 to 2024, the latest data entry presented by EDCOM II.
Based on the EDCOM II timeline, if the half a million senior high school graduates from 2021 promptly proceeded to tertiary education, they would have already completed four-year college degrees this calendar year.
‘Lost opportunity’
Yee described the situation as a “lost opportunity,” stressing that the TES, meant for the poorest learners, often went to students from municipalities without state universities and colleges (SUCs) or local universities and colleges (LUCs).
These recipients, Yee added, did not undergo the proper assessment if they were among the most financially challenged.
As a result, the proportion of TES beneficiaries from the poorest families dropped from 74% in 2018 to just 31% in recent years.
EDCOM II stressed the need for urgent amendments to Republic Act 10931.
Under its proposal, students from 4Ps families are automatically guaranteed TES support, provided they: (1) complete high school; and (2) gain admission to a higher education institution recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Uncertainty leads to…
Yee also pointed out flaws in implementation. Since TES is released only after enrollment, many poor students are hesitant to apply for college due to uncertainty about receiving support.
“The poorest will not take that risk,” he said, noting that upfront costs for exams and initial fees discourage enrollment without guaranteed subsidies.
The challenge in higher education is likewise troubling: four out of ten students who enter college drop out before completing their degrees.
According to EDCOM II, the main reasons that college learners drop out are: the need to work (44%), financial struggles (20%), and lack of engagement (25%), which is often linked to literacy challenges.
Attrition rates vary across the country, with dropout levels as high as 93% in some regions. In Metro Manila, more than half of students fail to complete their programs.
Funding delays
Meanwhile, lawmakers at the hearing expressed frustration over delays in the release of funds under TES and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), with some regions waiting up to six months for funds despite timely compliance by schools.
The delays, they said, make it harder for students to sustain their studies.
At the same time, concerns were raised about program costs beyond tuition.
For instance, nursing students face steep expenses for related learning experiences (RLE), such as on-the-job training in hospitals, which are not covered by the free tuition law.
The commission also flagged the growing mismatch between graduates and job opportunities.
Many degree holders end up in semi-skilled jobs meant for high school graduates, while high-demand fields like software engineering and animation remain under-enrolled due to limited program offerings.
With over 2,400 colleges and universities in the country, officials questioned whether CHED has the capacity to ensure quality across institutions, especially as some programs reportedly post zero passing rates in licensure exams, but continue to operate.
“The poorest deserve better,” Yee emphasized.
“If we do not guarantee support for them, the cycle of poverty will persist,” he added. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
