THE GOVERNMENT is expanding its Free Higher Education program, which now benefits 2.62 million students nationwide.

“But access to education must mean more than entering a university. It must mean providing the students, regardless of circumstance, with the support needed to complete their education and realize the promise that a college degree can bring,” President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said during the 58th Commencement Exercises of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Marcos also reiterated his administration’s commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA).

Under UAQTEA, or Republic Act No. 10931, eligible Filipino students enrolled in state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges, and other public higher education institutions are provided free tuition and other school fees. The law also provides financial assistance to qualified students.

Marcos said the government is continuing its scholarship and financial assistance programs, including the Tertiary Education Subsidy and the Tulong Dunong Program, to help students meet expenses beyond tuition.

He also highlighted the launch of the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to outstanding senior high school graduates pursuing priority degree programs.

The President emphasized that expanding access to higher education must go hand in hand with providing students the support they need to finish their studies and maximize the opportunities offered by a college degree.