THE COMMISSION on Higher Education will provide cash assistance to 60,000 students in private and public schools.

The one-time aid will be given under its Bayanihan 2 for Higher Education Tulong Program.

The P300 million fund for the B2HELP was provided by the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Republic Act 11494.

“The B2HELP will provide a one-time fixed grant of P5,000 to qualified students whose families are now facing financial difficulties brought about by work stoppage and closure of establishments due to the community quarantine,” CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said.

“It shall prioritize students in private HEIs who still have outstanding unpaid tuition and miscellaneous fees which they incurred in academic year 2019-2020 or academic year 2020-2021,” De Vera added.

Since students in state colleges and universities already enjoy free tuition and miscellaneous fees under Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law, they shall be given cash assistance only when there are unutilized funds.

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations thanked the government for the assistance to students.

“We manifest our sincere appreciation of the government’s one-time financial assistance to students under the Bayanihan 2 Act. Even with the modest amount of assistance, this will surely go a long way in reaching out to many students who come from families who are financially affected by economic downturn at this time of the pandemic,” Cocopea Chairperson Lourdes Almeda-Sese said.

Cocopea is composed of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities, Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities, and Tech-Voc Schools Association of the Philippines, Inc.

Under the B2HELP initiative, private schools will submit the list of students with unpaid tuition and miscellaneous fees to the CHED Regional Office. The CHEDRO will  evaluate the application documents and the information/data requested for each potential grantee.

Participating HEIs with complete application documents and approved grantees shall become B2HELP Partner Institutions.

Each private Partner Institution shall be limited to a maximum number of thirty grantees during the initial selection. If there are more than 30 recommended qualified grantees, the CHEDRO shall select the first 30 names from the HEI list. The remaining recommended grantees can be considered in the next round of selection until the CHEDRO has filled its regional slot allocation.

“We lobbied Congress to include an amelioration package for affected students, particularly in private universities. CHED thanks the members of Congress and President Duterte for helping our affected students continue their studies,” De Vera said.