THE SENATE has approved on second reading Senate Bill No. 1894, a measure seeking to strengthen Republic Act No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act by ensuring that government education subsidies are better targeted toward financially vulnerable students.

The bill, principally authored by Senators Bam Aquino and Loren Legarda, along with Senator Joel Villanueva, proposes reforms to the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) system, prioritizing beneficiaries from Listahanan households based on estimated per capita income.

Under the proposed measure, Senior High School graduates from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households would be automatically qualified for TES, a move lawmakers said would institutionalize support for the poorest students.

Lawmakers cited findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, which highlighted persistent gaps in access to higher education despite the implementation of free tuition. The commission noted that only 1.23 percent of 4Ps Senior High School graduates received TES as of 2024, underscoring issues in targeting and limited subsidy coverage.

The report also found that existing financial assistance often fails to cover the full cost of education, including transportation, housing, and learning materials.

To address these gaps, the bill expands TES coverage to include additional education-related expenses such as clinical internship and related learning experience fees for nursing and allied health students, as well as allowances for books, transportation, and daily living costs.

The measure also aims to strengthen governance and accountability by mandating regular reviews of subsidy levels, improving monitoring systems, and adopting a unified learner reference system to better track beneficiaries across the education pipeline.