The Philippine government via Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is encouraging beneficiaries of its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to take advantage of a multitude of governmental support programs for tertiary education. These programs are designed to mitigate the costs associated with higher education, and the DSWD is actively campaigning for 4Ps beneficiaries to use them.
Romel Lopez, DSWD Asst. Secretary for Strategic Communications, made the official statement on Monday (January 15), specifying that 4Ps beneficiaries could access a variety of educational assistance programs. These include scholarships, grant-in-aid, and student loan programs offered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
What is 4Ps?
4Ps stands for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the Philippine government’s flagship anti-poverty program that aims to provide conditional cash transfers to low-income households. Through this program, poor families are given financial assistance to help improve their education, health, and nutrition, ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty.
Why is tertiary education support important?
Tertiary education, or higher education, is an essential step towards achieving a better quality of life. However, the financial burden associated with it can hinder individuals from pursuing this path. This is especially true for households living in poverty.
In line with the goal of 4Ps to alleviate poverty through access to free education, tertiary education support programs aim to make higher education more accessible and affordable for qualified beneficiaries.
Explaining the Functions of Educational Government Agencies: CHED, UniFAST, TESDA
To fully understand the available government support programs for tertiary education, it is essential to know the different agencies involved.
- Commission on Higher Education (CHED) – CHED is responsible for supervising and regulating higher education institutions in the country.
- Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) – UniFAST aims to harmonize all government-funded student financial assistance programs. This includes scholarships, grants-in-aid, and student loans.
- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) – TESDA offers free technical-vocational education and training to equip individuals with skills for employment opportunities. These agencies work together to provide various forms of support for students who wish to pursue higher education.
Quality Education Access Through Government Schemes
Asst. Sec. Lopez stated that these initiatives are designed to improve access to quality education for deserving individuals. Such individuals include the beneficiaries of the country’s primary anti-poverty program. The goal is to alleviate the financial burden for those aspiring to pursue higher education.
He further explained that these schemes are provided to eligible poor households, including 4Ps beneficiaries, by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST). UniFAST, an agency affiliated with CHED, aims to unify and harmonize all government-funded student financial assistance programs (StuFAPs).
Tertiary Education: An Investment for the Future
Lopez emphasized that investing in tertiary education for 4Ps beneficiaries is a sound investment for the future of their households. It is also a step toward achieving the 4Ps goal of alleviating poverty through providing access to free education.
The DSWD spokesperson pointed out that 4Ps beneficiaries could access free higher education at any State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and CHED-recognized Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs). This is in accordance with Republic Act 10931, which exempts students from tuition and other school fees.
Beneficiaries Encouraged to Coordinate With Local Universities
Lopez advised beneficiaries who wish to pursue higher education to liaise with the nearest universities and colleges in their local area. This is to take advantage of the free tertiary education on offer.
Currently, there are 113 SUCs and 104 LUCs throughout the country offering free tertiary education under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act. In addition to this, 4Ps beneficiaries can also avail themselves of free technical-vocational education and training provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in any state-run technical-vocational institution.
Additional Grants and Subsidies for 4Ps Beneficiaries
4Ps beneficiaries can also enroll in any CHED-recognized public and private higher education institutions and avail of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), according to the DSWD spokesperson.
In addition to the TES, 4Ps beneficiaries may be eligible for the Tulong Dunong Program (TDP), which can provide a grant of up to Php 15,000 for one academic year. Lopez stated, “The beneficiaries will be eligible for the grants under TDP if and only if they are not receiving any CHED and UniFAST education support program.”
With all these programs on offer, Asst. Sec Lopez urged 4Ps beneficiaries to apply. The aim is for them to continue their higher education with the support of the government. For more information, he advised interested beneficiaries to coordinate with CHED-UniFast and the nearest LCUs and SUCs in their locality.
The 4Ps initiative provides conditional cash transfers to household beneficiaries to improve their education, health, and nutrition, helping them to overcome generational poverty.
Here is the report from DSWD posted on their social media page featuring this latest news: