COMMISSION on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero de Vera III clarified a  recent statement on student financial assistance, stressing he was taken out of context and misinterpreted when he said there will be no assistance for learners who had been infected with Covid19.

De Vera noted the wrong information is now being used against him and the agency on social media to obviously confuse students.

“I was asked in the budget hearing (on September 9) whether there is financial assistance or ‘ayuda’ for all Covid19 affected students and my answer is no,” De Vera said in a statement.

“This answer has been misrepresented and twisted to mean that there are no funds for all types of student financial assistance in 2022,” he added.

During the budget hearing, De Vera said he enumerated the following student financial assistance under the proposed 2022 National Expenditure Program:

1. Tertiary Education Subsidy which is given to financially needy students belonging to the Department of Social Welfare and Development Listahanan 2.0 list, students residing in, and studying in private schools in cities and municipalities with no public universities, and other financially needy students — 403,941 slots amounting to P21,942,169,200.
2. Tulong Dunong for financially needy students has a P3.2 billion funding.
3. Merit scholarships for students with high grades, 57,108 slots funded in the amount of P1,451,782,000.
4. 994 slots for Scholarship Grant for Dependent Children of Sugarcane Industry Workers and Small Farmers, funded in the amount of P65 million.
5. Tabang OFW in the amount of P1 billion for 16,719 slots (as of 4 August 2021, P508,775,972.94 or 50.88 percent is the utilization rate).
6. Medical scholarship grants for students in state universities and colleges funded in the amount of P167 million for 3,395 slots.

“Today, there are 1.6 million students studying in more than 200 state universities and colleges and local universities and colleges who are no longer paying tuition and miscellaneous fees; 435,367 students in public and private universities getting TES subsidy; 210,339 Tulong Dunong beneficiaries getting subsidy; 91,260 merit scholars and; 16,719 children of OFW getting subsidy through Tabang OFW,” De Vera said.

“In total, there are more than 2 million students getting financial assistance from the government through CHED,” he added.

The Commission assured all qualified on-going TES and Tulong Dunong beneficiaries will continue to get their stipends in 2022. Likewise, there will be funding for new TES and Tulong Dunong applicants, and for merit scholars.

“We ask everyone to share this correct information. Let us not confuse our student beneficiaries who need government financial assistance during these very difficult times to continue their studies. Let us learn and educate as one,” De Vera said.