HIGH school graduates from families under the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will soon receive priority access to the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under a proposed measure approved by the Senate on third and final reading.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Senate Bill No. 1894 seeks to ensure that graduating senior high school students from 4Ps households automatically qualify for TES grants once they meet the admission requirements of higher education institutions recognized by the Commission on Higher Education or technical-vocational schools accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Gatchalian, a co-author of the bill, said the measure strengthens the implementation of the country’s free higher education law by giving financially disadvantaged students better opportunities to pursue college or technical-vocational education.

“Sa pagpapatag natin sa free higher education law, tutulungan nating makapagpatuloy sa kolehiyo ang mga high school graduates natin na nasa ilalim ng 4Ps,” Gatchalian said.

The proposed measure amends Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act to prioritize vulnerable sectors in the distribution of government education assistance.

Under the bill, any remaining TES funds after covering automatic qualifiers will be allocated according to applicants’ household per capita income ranking.

The Tertiary Education Subsidy is among the major components of Republic Act No. 10931, providing assistance for tuition, school expenses, and living allowances to qualified students enrolled in public and private colleges, universities, and technical-vocational institutions.