TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
2!3 JIJL 14 A11 -in
S. No
SENATE
503
n t
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero
AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 7 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN 
AS THE "UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT"
EXPLANATORY NOTE
During the Seventeenth Congress, the Legislature enacted a landmark statute 
to address the low participation rate in tertiary education, particularly among poor and 
low-income households. Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the "Universal 
Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) Act", exempts from payment of tuition 
and other school fees all Filipino students who intend to pursue a bachelor's degree, 
certificate degree, or any comparable undergraduate degree in any public higher 
education institution (HEI) or any post-secondary TVET leading to non-degree 
certificate or diploma programs offered by any state-run technical-vocational 
institution (TVI).
In addition to the provision of free tuition in public HEIs, UAQTE Act also 
provides financial assistance to qualified students to ease the burden of educational 
expenses through the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) Program. The TES Program 
covers tuition and other fees in private HEIs; allowances for books, transportation, 
board and lodging, and others; allowances for persons with disabilities; and 
allowances for professional licensure exams.
Under the prevailing system, the TES program uses the Listahanan Database 
of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to identify the beneficiaries of 
the TES Program, but with the exception of students enrolled in areas without public 
HEIs. While such exception aligns with the twin intentions of acknowledging the role 
of the private sector in the education system and allowing TES beneficiaries to attend 
school without leaving their residences, such exception also created a situation 
wherein non-poor students residing in places with no public HEI could qualify for the 
subsidy at the expense of students from poor households residing in localities with


public HEIs. This appears to have been the case since 2020, wherein more than half 
of TES beneficiaries qualified in the TES program due to their place of residence and 
not necessarily because of their socioeconomic circumstances.
This bill seeks to remedy this predicament by ensuring better and more 
equitable allocation of government educational subsidies. The bill amends Section 7 
of Republic Act No. 10931 to remove the prioritization exception of areas with no 
public HEIs, harmonize education and training programs with identified national 
development goals, authorize the government to determine the amount of subsidy 
and the eligibility requirements of the TES program, and ensure the timely release of 
TES benefits to qualified beneficiaries. Additionally, the bill allows HEIs and TVIs to 
waive admission or examination fees and other similar expenses imposed on TES 
beneficiaries, and guarantees the timely release of TES benefits until the completion 
of education or technical program so long as the TES beneficiaries concerned comply 
with the retention and residency requirements of the HEIs where they are enrolled in.
These interventions will strengthen not only the ability of the government to 
prioritize students from poor and low-income households in the grant of TES benefits, 
but also the ability of TES beneficiaries to complete their chosen programs. Ultimately, 
this bill will further improve the TES as an educational program that is vital not only 
in reducing poverty and inequality, but also in realizing other national development 
objectives.
In line with the foregoing, the swift passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
FRANCISTh^CUDERO


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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
T3 JUL 14 All :10
SENATE 
S. No. 5
:
c:03
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero
AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 7 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN 
AS THE "UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT"
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assem bled:
Section 1. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10931 or the "Universal Access to 
Quality Tertiary Education Act" is hereby amended to read as foilows:
"Sec. 7. TES for Filipino Students. - To support the cost of tertiary 
education or any part or portion thereof, a TES is hereby established IN 
ALL sues, LUCS, PRIVATE HEIS, AND TVIS for ali Filipino students 
who [shaH] enroll in the undergraduate, post-secondary TERTIARY 
EDUCATION OR TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL TRAINING 
program[s] [of SUCs, LUCs, private HEIs and all TVIs] of their choice.
The TES shall be administered by the UniFAST Board and the amount 
necessary to fund the TES shall be included in the RESPECTIVE 
budgets of the CHED and the TESDA: Provided, That prioritization shall 
be given to QUALIFIED students in the following order: (a) students 
who are part of househoids included in the UPDATED OR MOST 
RECENT Listahanan [2r0], ranked according to the estimated per capita 
household income; and (b) students WHO ARE not part of the 
UPDATED OR MOST RECENT Listahanan [2r0], ranked according to 
estimated per capita household income based on submitted 
documentation of proof of income to be determined by the UniFAST


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Board[: Provided, further, That such prioritizotion shall not apply-te
Filipino students in cities and municipaliticG with no existing SUC or LUC
eampus: PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE PRIORITIZATION OF 
TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE 
ENROLMENT OF STUDENTS IN EDUCATIONAL OR TRAINING 
PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMPLIANT WITH THE MINIMUM 
QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS OF THE CHED AND TESDA, 
AND THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR ACHIEVING NATIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT GOALS AS MAY BE JOINTLY IDENTIFIED BY THE 
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMY, PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT 
(DEPDEV), CHED, AND TESDA IN CONSULTATION WITH THE 
OTHER RELEVANT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND 
INSTRUMENTALITIES: PROVIDED, FURTHERMORE, THAT THE 
UNIFAST BOARD, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CHED, TESDA, 
AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONCERNED, AND IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT, SHALL 
DETERMINE THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR TES 
BENEFICIARIES, AND THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDIES TO BE 
GRANTED TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE ACTUAL COST 
OF TUITION AND FIXED ALLOWANCES PER EDUCATION OR 
TRAINING PROGRAM AND THE PRIORITIZATION OF 
EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING PROGRAMS IDENTIFIED 
JOINTLY BY THE DEPDEV, CHED, AND TESDA: PROVIDED, 
FINALLY, THAT THE CHED AND THE TESDA SHALL ENSURE THE 
TIMELY RELEASE OF SUBSIDY TO TES BENEFICIARIES AND/OR 
HEIS AND TVIS.
"TO SUPPORT THE COST OF TERTIARY EDUCATION OR 
ANY PART OR PORTION THEREOF, [T]the TES may, among others, 
[and to support the cost of tertiary education or any part-ep-poft-iofi
thereef7] cover the following:


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"(a) Tuition and other school fees in private HEIs, and private or 
LGU-operated TVIs which shall be equivalent to the tuition 
and other school fees of the nearest SUC or state-run TVI in 
their respective areas;
"(b) [Aft] A[a]llowance for books, SCHOOL supplies, 
transportation TO AND FROM SCHOOL, and 
[m sccllaneeus personal expenses, including] a reasonable 
allowance for the documented rental or purchase of a 
[personal-computer or laptop] DESKTOP OR PORTABLE 
COMPUTERS and other education-related expenses, IF 
APPLICABLE;
"(c) An allowance for room and board costs incurred by the 
student IF APPLICABLE;
"(d) X X x;
"(e) XXX.
"TO FURTHER REDUCE BARRIERS TO ENTRY, SUCS, LUCS, 
AND PRIVATE HEIS AND TVIS MAY WAIVE ADMISSION OR 
EXAMINATION FEES AND OTHER SIMILAR EXPENSES IMPOSED 
ON TES BENEFICIARIES.
"ALL TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE 
SUCH BENEFITS OR SUBSIDY UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF 
THEIR RESPECTIVE UNDERGRADUATE, POST-SECONDARY 
TERTIARY EDUCATION OR TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL 
PROGRAMS: PROVIDED, THAT THE TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL 
COMPLY WITH THE RETENTION AND RESIDENCY 
REQUIREMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES AND 
REGULATIONS OF THE HEIS AND TVIS."


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Sec. 2. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or
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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended
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accordingly.
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Sec. 3. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately after its publication
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in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,