A TOTAL of 14,006 students have qualified for the Department of Education’s senior high school voucher program.

The DepEd announced that 30,209 other students have also qualified conditionally for the government subsidy.

A total of 2,819 students automatically qualified because they are Educational Service Contracting grantees, said the DepEd.

Education Undersecretary Jesus Mateo said the DepEd has a budget of more than P1 billion for the voucher program.

He added that although the program could accommodate 65,000 learners for senior high school, only 61,919 submitted applications.

DepEd clarified that Grade 10 students who are non-ESC grantees are not entitled to the subsidy and have to apply for the program.

The application period was from June 29 to July 24.  Applicants have been given until October 30 to submit all the required documents.

Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 lengthened basic education from 10 to 14 years with the addition of Kindergarten and Grades 11 and 12 in Senior High School.

Grade 11 was introduced in school year 2016- 2017 and Grade 12 in SY 2017-2018.

DepEd developed the Senior High School Voucher Program as financial subsidy for qualified SHS learners enrolled in private or non-DepEd schools.