CHEd seeks P17B more for 940,000 free tuition students

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is seeking an additional P17 billion in the proposed 2027 national budget to support free higher education for about 940,000 students.

CHEd Chairperson Shirley Agrupis made the statement during the Senate committee on finance’s hearing on the commission’s spending plan.

“We can no longer reduce it. We need P17 billion to support the UAQTE of 940,000 incoming students,” Agrupis said during the budget deliberations.

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UAQTE refers to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program, which provides free tuition at covered state universities and colleges (SUCs).

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READ: Ched laments 50% cut in 2027 NEP from proposed budget

CHEd had initially sought P70.2 billion for 2027, but only P35.4 billion was allocated under the National Expenditure Program, leaving a P34.8 billion funding gap.

Agrupis said the agency later recalibrated its original 2027 budget request after reconciling its projections with data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), following Congress’ advice.

She said the agency agreed to reduce its request after considering the government’s limited fiscal space and arrived at P27.46 billion as its revised request after the reconciliation.

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The P27.46 billion covers three priority clusters:

• Priority 1: Critical/non-deferrable — P17.05 billion
• Priority 2: Strategic Higher Education Investments — P2.85 billion
• Priority 3: Institutional Requirements — P7.56 billion

“The one that is truly critical, the one we would really fight for and that would make many people cry [if not provided], is priority one,” Agrupis said.

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Sen. Joel Villanueva, who presided over the hearing, asked Agrupis how many of the 940,000 students are beneficiaries of the 4Ps, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, a national poverty reduction and conditional cash transfer program.