FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 2513 
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Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The government has always valued the role of education in nation 
building. In fact, the education sector always gets the largest share in the annual 
appropriations of the national government. 
One of the many legislations which broadens access to education is RA 
6728, as amended by RA 8545, which provides government assistance to 
students and teachers in the private education in the form of supplements in their 
tuition fees. 
The existing law, however, has limited both the amount of assistance to be 
extended to deserving college stUdents as well as the course to be covered by 
the scholarship program by only including the so-called "priority course program" 
to be determined by the concerned agencies of the government. 
This proposed legislation seeks to address the said restriction by means 
of providing the college students beneficiaries with a higher amount of 
scholarship assistance from half to full coverage of the tuition fee. This bill 
likewise encourages college students to take up any technical course or college 
degree of their choice other than those identified by the government under its 
priority program. 
Realizing that the limitations set forth in the. existing Government 
Assistance Student Education Act are primarily due to the government's limited 
resources, this proposed piece of legislation will authorize the government to 
accept financial support from private donors with the hope of accumulating 
enough funding to fully support student grantees under this program. 
Considering the urgency to provide assistance to the country's 
impoverished but well deserving students, immediate approval of this bill IS 
earnestly sought. 
MAN 
L "UTO;""M 
........ L-A~P ... ID ...... ." 
Senator 
,1>", 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
AN ACT 
FURTHER EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF THE 
COLLEGE STUDENT 
BENEFICIARIES UNDER THE STUDENT VOUCHER SYSTEM OF PRIVATE 
EDUCATION 
STUDENT 
FINANCIAL 
ASSISTANCE 
(PESFA) 
PROGRAM, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 
8545 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "EXPANDED GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO 
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN PRIVATE EDUCATION ACT", AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES , 
Be it enac·ted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1 - Section 8 (a) of RA 8545, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 8. Assistance to College Freshmen. - (a) 
The Voucher 
System of Private Education Student· Financial Assistance (PESFA) 
Program. XXX. 
The program shall be equitably allocated to provinces 
and cities TO ANY DEGREE AND VOCATIONALITECHNICAL COURSE 
BEING OFFERED BY PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. [in 
accordance with 
regional and national plans to priority courses as 
determined by the CHED and the TESDA] 
xxx. 
SEC. 2 - Section 9 of RA 8545, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 9. 
Further Assistance to Students in Private Colleges and 
Universities.-
Tuition fee supplements for students of private post 
secondary vocational and technical institutions and higher educational 
institutions enrolled in ANY DEGREE AND VOCATIONALITECHNICAL 
COURSE [priority course programs determined by the TESDA and the 


CHEQ] shall be provided by the government through a voucher system in 
the following manner: 
"For students in PESFA PROGRAM ENROLLED in ANY DEGREE 
AND VOCATIONAL/TECHNICAL COURSE [priority programs] in schools 
charging an effective per unit tuition rate of such amount as may be 
determined by the State Assistance Council, the government shall provide 
the student with a voucher for the amount of tuition fee supplement 
RANGING FROM ONE HALF TO FULL 
AS determined by the State 
Assistance Council. 
"XXXII 
SEC. 3. -Insert a new Section 10 -
"SEC. 
10 -
SCHOLARSHIP 
DONATION 
FUND 
-
THE 
GOVERNMENT MAY ACCEPT SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS FROM 
ANY SOURCE, DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN, WHICH WILL FORM PART 
OF A SCHOLARSHIP FUND BENEFITTING COLLEGE STUDENTS 
UNDER THE VOUCHER SYSTEM: PROVIDED, THAT ANY DONATION 
WHICH WILL BE MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP 
DONATION FUND, SHALL BE EXEMPTED FROM TAXES OF ANY KIND 
AND SHALL CONSTITUTE ALLOWABLE DEDUCTION FROM THE 
INCOME OF THE DONORS. 
SEC. 4. 
Repealing Clause. -
All laws, decrees, order or administrative 
rules and regulations or any part thereof which may be inconsistent with the provision of 
this act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 5. 
Separability Clause. - If for. any reason, any provision of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act shall not be affected. 
SEC.G. 
Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately upon publication 
in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,