MORE college students from low-income families are set to benefit from government assistance as Senator Sherwin Gatchalian highlighted the expanded budget for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) this year.

The 2026 national budget allocates ₱30.8 billion for TES to support underprivileged but qualified students, including those from areas without state or local universities and colleges.

This marks a significant increase from the ₱21.7 billion allocated for TES in 2025 and is expected to benefit around 1.3 million students.

At least 200,000 of these slots are reserved for incoming college students from families covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

A special provision in the 2026 national budget states that in selecting TES beneficiaries, the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) should prioritize students under “Listahanan 3.0” and other low-income households not included in the Listahanan database.

“Tiniyak natin na ang tulong pinansyal sa kolehiyo ay mapupunta sa mga estudyanteng higit na nangangailangan. Sa ganitong paraan, mas marami ang makakapagpatuloy at makakapagtapos ng kanilang pag-aaral,” said Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.