AS PART of the fulfillment of another campaign promise, Senator Bam Aquino and the Commission on Higher Educationannounced that around 19,000 nursing and allied health sciences students will receive a one-time P25,000 financial assistance to help cover their Related Learning Experience (RLE) expenses.

During meetings with nursing students across the country in the 2025 senatorial campaign, Aquino vowed to address concerns over the high cost of RLE, which is similar to on-the-job training and is required for graduation.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Aquino secured P500 million under the 2026 national budget to help subsidize the RLE expenses of allied health sciences students.

Aquino on Monday attended the launch of CHED’s online portal for the submission of applications and supporting documents for the Allied Health Experiential Assistance for Deserving Students (AHEAD) Grant.

CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis and Commissioners Desiderio Apag III, Ricmar Aquino, Myrna Mallari, and Michelle Aguilar-Ong joined the event, where 10 nursing students from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina participated in a ceremonial enrollment through the online application portal.

Aquino said the AHEAD Grant, established through CHED Memorandum Order No. 11, Series of 2026, aims to ease the financial burden on students and their families amid rising prices of basic goods and petroleum products.

“Malaking tulong ito sa ating mga estudyante na naka-enroll sa allied health and medical-related programs na nahihirapan kung saan kukuha ng pambayad at napipilitang mangutang para sa RLE,” Aquino said.

“Makakagaan din ito sa gastusin ng kanilang mga pamilya, lalo ngayong mataas ang presyo ng bilihin at produktong petrolyo. May magagamit na silang panggastos para sa iba pang mahalagang pangangailangan ng pamilya,” he added.

Aquino also vowed to push during next week’s bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed amendments to the Free College Law a provision allowing the inclusion of RLE expenses under the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES).

“This is our amendment. We included to allow TES for RLE na special para magiging mandated na rin po iyong pagpondo nito. We will fight that every year, itataas natin iyong budget para mas maraming estudyante ang makakakuha ng tulong,” he said.

The senator also lauded CHED for swiftly implementing the program, from issuing the guidelines to launching the online application portal.

According to Agrupis, degree programs covered under the grant include Nursing, Medical Technology or Medical Laboratory Science, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Pharmacy, Speech Language Pathology, Public Health, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Doctor of Optometry, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

“Ang AHEAD Grant ay isang konkretong hakbang upang matiyak na mas maraming kabataang Pilipino ang mabibigyan ng pagkakataong makapagtapos, makapaglingkod, at maabot ang kanilang mga pangarap,” Agrupis said.

“Itong AHEAD program na ito, through the initiative of our beloved Senator, we will be including this in our expanded memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health,” she added.

Marcy Teodoro’s wife and Marikina Mayor Maan Teodoro also thanked Aquino and CHED for the assistance extended to nursing students of PLMar.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo kay Senator Bam at CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis para sa malaking tulong na ito para sa nursing students ng PLMar,” Teodoro said.

Also representing PLMar during the event were Vice President Jacqueline Calaycay and former president Joselito Rivera.

Aquino is likewise pushing to make RLE free in state universities and colleges, as well as local universities and colleges, through Senate Bill No. 123. Under the proposed measure, nursing students in private universities may also apply for TES assistance covering RLE-related expenses.