With the goal of ensuring government assistance will reach students from poor and disadvantaged families in the country.
On Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed the Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA), which is also known as the “Free Tertiary Education Act” during a ceremonial event in Malacañang.
The said amedments would expand government assistance for college or vocational course students.
Marcos, in his speech, said that the act reflects the government’s goal of “a country where every young Filipino, especially the most disadvantaged, has an equal chance at a quality tertiary education.”
He noted that the measure builds on the government’s promise of a future where every family has at least one child who completed a bachelor’s degree or a technical-vocational education and training (TVET) program.
Noting that while the original law helped remove a major barrier to tertiary education, the President acknowledged that families still face the cost of books, transportation, daily expenses, and other requirements—which all can prevent students and trainees from completing their studies.
Hence, the Chief Executive told that the government has opened the doors of public colleges, universities, and technical-vocational institutions.
“We must help all our learners remain in school or training until they complete their studies and acquire the skills that they need to succeed,” President Marcos added.
The original law also provided assistance to learners with limited financial means through the Tertiary Education Subsidy, but the amedments aim to take this another step further.
“Poor and deserving students taking priority programs who are not covered by existing grants may also receive government support to pursue their studies in qualified private higher education and technical-vocational institutions. This expands the opportunities for more Filipinos to earn a degree, a diploma, or skills qualification,” Marcos said.
He then cited accomplishments in the education sector, such as increasing Free Higher Education beneficiaries to 2.6 million students in the first semester of the current academic year.
He also mentioned the newly-launched Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program, which caters to outstanding Senior High School graduates pursuing priority degree programs in higher education or priority TVET diploma programs.
Meanwhile, through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Science Education Institute, the President said the government has increased the number of undergraduate scholars from around 45,000 scholars in School Year 2022 to 2023 to 48,520 in School Year 2025 to 2026.
Marcos also repeated what he said during his State of the Nation Address in July, sharing that only 12 local colleges made it into the World University Rankings for Innovation in 2022. However, in the latest rankings, that has already reached 140, including some state universities and college.
“Tulad lang ng nabanggit ko sa aking SONA ngayong taon, ang edukasyon pa rin ang pangunahing nagtataguyod ng kakayahan, kung kaya ito ang nangunguna sa listahan ng aking administrasyon at patuloy nating tutuparin ang pangakong ito,” said the President.
According to the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA), TVET is the education or training process where it involves, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and acquisition of practical skills relating to occupations in various sectors of economic life and social life.
This program comprises formal (organized programs as part of the school system) and non-formal (organized classes outside the school system) approaches.
“We often speak of our youth as the seeds of our nation’s future. We hope to see them grow and thrive, and reach their full potential. But even the strongest seeds cannot flourish without fertile ground,” the President emphasized.
“At sa ating mga benepisyaryo, ang mahabang landas ay nasa inyong harapan, ngunit hindi ninyo kailangan maglakad nang nag-iisa. Narito ang inyong pamahalaan upang tulungan kayong makapasok, manatili, at makatapos sa paaralan o pagsasanay,” he also added.
Marcos also thanked the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate for working together to pass this important measure for students and their families, as the implementation falls on the Executive.
The President then ordered the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), TESDA, the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), and all concerned agencies to complete the implementing rules and regulations within the period required by law and ensure the smooth implementation of this measure.
“Today we make good on our promise of quality education by strengthening its foundation and expanding opportunities for millions of Filipino learners,” Marcos said. “May we continue to give every Filipino learner not only the chance to begin, but also the support needed to finish what they have begun. Every learner who completes a college degree or a TVET program brings greater hope to a family, greater opportunity for their communities, and greater strength to our nation,” he furthered.
Apart from the benefits, the new law also improving the monitoring and accountability mechanisms of the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Program.
Moreover, the passage of the UniFAST Law rationalizes the allocation, utilization, and client-targeting of government resources and improves access to quality higher and technical education for those who need it.
According to CHED, the UniFAST Law also serves as the ultimate national human resource development mechanism and strategy that will direct beneficiaries to priority courses needed for economic growth and development.
Among the guests who attended the ceremony were Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Shirley Agrupis; Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and members of the Senate; House Speaker Bojie Dy and the members of the House of Representatives; members of the Cabinet; student beneficiaries and other stakeholders, as well as other government workers.
