Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BIL.NO._2824 _

_Introduced by: Hon. Iris Marie D. Montes

(AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A VOUCHER SYSTEM FOR POOR AND ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED
STUDENTS OF PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE
TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY
TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIV, Section 2, paragraph 3 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the
State shall “Establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student loan
programs, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be available to deserving
students in both public and private schools, especially to the under-privileged.”

Section 4, paragraph 1 of the same Article provides that “The State
recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the
educational system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all
educational institutions.”

Pursuant to this, Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the “Universal
Access to Quality Tertiary Education” was enacted into law. However, this landmark
law faces certain realities such as the limited number of public higher education
institutions (HEIs) that could cater all higher education students; geographical
considerations that deny the access of students to public HEIs; range of courses or
degrees offered in each public HEI that limit the options of the students who are in
need of government subsidy; and a combination of any of these and other factors
that hinder students from enjoying the benefits of the law.

In this light, this bill, which has been approved by the House of
Representatives in the previous Congress, seeks to grant financial assistance to
students opting to study in private HEIs and private technical vocational institutions
(TVIs) through a voucher system.

Hence, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.__ 2824

Introduced by: Hon. Iris Marie D. Montes

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A VOUCHER SYSTEM FOR POOR AND ACADEMICALLY
QUALIFIED STUDENTS OF PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
AND PRIVATE TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10931, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
“UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION ACT”

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 10931 or the “Universal Access to
Quality Tertiary Education Act” is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 3. Definition of Terms - As used in this Act:
Xxx

(I) POOR AND ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED STUDENT REFERS TO A
STUDENT WHO BELONGS TO A HOUSEHOLD RANKED AS “POOR” BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT BASED
ON PROOF OF INCOME AS PRESENTED TO THE UNIFAST BOARD, AND.
WHO CONSISTENTLY MEETS THE ACADEMIC RETENTION
REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONCERNED HEI OR TVI FOR A REGULAR
UNIT LOAD;

Xxx

(L) PROOF OF INCOME REFERS TO ANY DOCUMENTATION USED TO
VERIFY, AUTHENTICATE, OR ASSESS THE ANNUAL INCOME OF A
PERSON OR HOUSEHOLD;

(M) PROPORTIONAL BUDGETARY ALLOCATION REFERS TO A
BUDGETARY ALLOCATION WHICH SHALL SUBSIDIZE THE FULL COST
OF TUITION AND MISCELLANEOUS FEES IN THE FORM OF PORTABLE
VOUCHERS FOR POOR AND ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED STUDENTS;

XXX

(Y) VOUCHER SYSTEM REFERS TO A SYSTEM THAT GRANTS
PORTABLE VOUCHERS TO POOR AND ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED


STUDENTS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO ALLOW
THEM TO STUDY OR TRANSFER TO PRIVATE HEIs OR PRIVATE TVIs IN
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THERE ARE EXISTING SUCs,
LUCs, AND PUBLIC TVIs.”

SEC. 2. Section 3 (i). and (j) are amended to be denominated as Section 3 (j)
and (k) respectively. Section 3 (k) to (u) are amended to be denominated as
Section 3 (n) to (x).

SEC. 3. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10931 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“SEC. 7. TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY (TES) for Filipino Students. -
To support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof, a
TES is hereby established IN ALL SUCs, LUCs, PRIVATE HEIs AND TVIs for all
Filipino students who [shall] enroll in THE FIRST undergraduate-post-
secondary TERTIARY EDUCATION 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 students in the following order: (a) students
who are part of households included in the UPDATED Listahanan [2.0] 3,
LAUNCHED ON AUGUST 1, 2022 BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE
AND DEVELOPMENT, ranked according to the estimated per capita household
income; and (b) students not part of the Listahanan [2.0] 3, ranked
according to estimated per capita household income based on [submitted
documentation of] THE proof of income to be determined by the UniFAST
Board: Provided[,] further, That such prioritization shall not apply to Filipino
students in cities and municipalities with no existing SUC or LUC campus
AND PUBLIC TVI: PROVIDED, FINALLY, THAT FILIPINO STUDENTS
ENROLLED IN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN PRIVATE HEIs IN CITIES
AND MUNICIPALITIES WHERE AN SUC OR LUC EXISTS, BUT DOES NOT
OFFER COMPARABLE OR EQUIVALENT DEGREE PROGRAMS, SHALL BE
ELIGIBLE FOR TES.

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 or portion thereof,] cover the following:

(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) [An] [aJAllowanceS for books, SCHOOL supplies, transportation TO
AND FROM SCHOOL, and [miscellaneous personal expenses including a]
reasonable allowance for the documented rental or purchase of a [personal
computer or laptop] DESKTOP OR PORTABLE COMPUTER, WHEN APPLICABLE
{and other education-related expenses];

(c) An allowance for room and board costs TO BE incurred by the
student WHEN APPLICABLE;


(4) XXX
(e) XXX

ALL TES BENEFICIARIES SHALL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SUCH
BENEFITS OR SUBSIDY UNTIL THEY COMPLETE THEIR POSTSECONDARY
TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL COURSE OR HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREE
PROGRAM: PROVIDED, THAT THEY COMPLY WITH RESIDENCY
REQUIREMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF THE HEIs AND TVis."

SEC. 4. A new Section denominated as Section 7A is hereby inserted after
Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10931 to read as follows:

“SEC. 7A. VOUCHER SYSTEM FOR POOR AND ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED
STUDENTS OF PRIVATE HEIs AND TVIs, - THERE SHALL BE A PROPORTIONAL
BUDGETARY ALLOCATION TO SUPPORT POOR AND ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED
STUDENTS THROUGH A PORTABLE VOUCHER SYSTEM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY
THE UNIFAST BOARD THAT SHALL ALLOW BENEFICIARIES TO STUDY IN
PRIVATE HEIs AND PRIVATE TVIs IN CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WHERE
THERE ARE EXISTING SUCs, LUCs, AND PUBLIC TVIs.

THE ELIGIBILITY OF STUDENTS UNDER THE VOUCHER SYSTEM SHALL BE
DETERMINED BY THE UNIFAST BOARD, BASED ON REASONABLE ECONOMIC
AND ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS, NOT LATER THAN THE START OF THE
ACADEMIC YEAR AS DETERMINED BY THE CHED, AND, IN THE CASE OF
TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL STUDENTS, NOT LATER THAN THE PERIOD
DESIGNATED BY THE TESDA, AND PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SPECIFIC
TRAINING PROGRAM OR COURSE.

STUDENTS OF PRIVATE HEIs AND PRIVATE TVIs WHO ARE TES GRANTEES.
CAN NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THE VOUCHER SYSTEM. ALL VOUCHERS ISSUED
UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF
ASSISTING POOR AND ACADEMICALLY QUALIFIED STUDENTS WHO OPT TO
STUDY IN PRIVATE HEIs AND PRIVATE TVIs IN CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
WHERE THERE ARE EXISTING SUCs, LUCs AND PUBLIC TVIs.”

FOR THIS PURPOSE, AND WITHIN SIXTY (60) DAYS FROM THE
EFFECTIVITY OF THIS ACT, THE UNIFAST BOARD SHALL COMMISSION A STUDY
TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE COST OF TUITION AND MISCELLANEOUS
FEES FOR PRIVATE HEIs AND TVIs IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH SHALL BE THE
NOMINAL VALUE OF THE VOUCHER UNDER THE SYSTEM. THE AMOUNT OF
TUITION AND MISCELLANEOUS FEES SHALL BE REVIEWED EVERY THREE (3)
YEARS TO ALLOW FOR ADJUSTMENTS DUE TO INFLATION.”

SEC. 5. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the CHED shall
issue the rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions
of this Act.

SEC. 6. Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the “Universal Access to
Quality Tertiary Education Act”, is hereby amended. All laws, presidential


decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, and issuances or parts thereof
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,