Gatchalian flags: Lower amount of Tertiary Education Subsidy to increase college dropouts
November 26, 2024
Gatchalian flags: Lower amount of Tertiary Education Subsidy to increase college dropouts
Senator Win Gatchalian flagged the reduction in the amount given to beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), which he said could increase the number of students dropping out of school.
While the completion rate for TES beneficiaries is around 79.2%, Gatchalian fears that this could go down with the lower amount of TES grants. During his interpellation on the proposed budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the senator urged the Commission to rethink the amount it gives to beneficiaries to ensure that TES grantees will complete their education.
Gatchalian pointed out how TES beneficiaries use the grants to fund their education-related expenses. TES grantees from private higher education institutions (HEIs) previously received P60,000 per academic year, P20,000 of which was meant to cover tuition, while the remaining P40,000 was for expenses such as transportation, food, lodging, and learning materials, among others. On the other hand, TES grantees from public HEIs received P40,000 per academic year. TES grantees from private schools now receive only P27,000, while those from public schools receive P20,000.
The CHED said that while there are around 200,000 slots for TES grantees every year, the Commission received 1.6 million applications for TES grants in 2021 and 2023. This prompted the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Board to slash the amount to accommodate more grantees. Despite the reduction in the amount of TES grants, however, the Commission was only able to accommodate 250,000 grantees.
"The amounts should be sufficient for students to graduate by their fourth year or at the end of the course. I believe that the P60,000 and 40,000 are the amounts that will incentivize students and cover their expenses to complete the school year," said Gatchalian, Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).
"My take is that the original amounts are designed to prevent students from dropping out so that they could graduate. And that's what we want --for them to graduate instead of us just giving subsidies and then in the middle of the school year, they just drop out," Gatchalian ended.
Gatchalian nagbabala: Mas mababang Tertiary Education Subsidy maaaring magdulot ng mas maraming dropouts
Nagbabala si Senador Win Gatchalian na maaaring dumami ang bilang ng mga college dropout dahil sa pagbaba ng halagang ibinibigay sa mga benepisyaryo ng Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES).
Bagama't 79.2% ng mga TES grantees ang natatapos sa pag-aaral, nangangamba si Gatchalian na maaaring bumaba ang bilang na ito dahil sa pagbaba ng halaga ng mga TES grants. Sa nakaraang deliberasyon sa panukalang pondo ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED), hinimok ni Gatchalian ang Komisyon na muling pag-aralan ang halagang ibinibigay nito sa mga benepisyaryo ng TES upang matiyak na makakapagtapos sila ng pag-aaral.
Binigyang diin ni Gatchalian na ginagamit ng mga benepisyaryo ng TES ang natatanggap nilang halaga para matustusan ang mga bagay na may kinalaman sa kanilang pag-aaral. Dating nakakatanggap ng P60,000 ang mga TES grantees mula sa mga pribadong higher education institutions (HEIs) at P20,000 sa naturang pondo ay para sa tuition at ang natitirang P40,000 ay para sa transportasyon, pagkain, tirahan, mga gamit sa pag-aaral, at iba pa. Dati namang nakakatanggap ng P40,000 ang mga mag-aaral mula sa mga pampublikong HEIs. Sa kasalukuyan, P27,000 na lang ang natatanggap ng mga mag-aaral mula sa pribadong HEIs, at P20,000 naman ang natatanggap ng mga mula sa pampublikong paaralan.
Ipinaliwanag ng CHED na bagama't may 200,000 slots para sa mga TES grantees kada taon, nakatanggap ang Komisyon noong 2021 at 2023 ng 1.6 milyong aplikasyon para sa TES grants. Dahil dito, nagpasya ang Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Board na babaan ang halaga ng mga grant upang dumami ang bilang ng mga benepisyaryo. Sa kabila nito, nakapag-accommodate lamang ang Komisyon ng 250,000 na mga benepisyaryo.
"Dapat maging sapat ang mga halagang binibigay natin upang matapos ng ating mga benepisyaryo ang hanggang ikaapat na taon o ang pagtatapos ng kolehiyo. Naniniwala ako na sapat ang P60,000 at P40,000 upang matiyak natin ang pagtatapos ng mga mag-aaral, matugunan ang kanilang mga gastusin, at mahikayat silang manatili sa paaralan," ani Gatchalian, Co-Chairperson ng Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).
"Para sa akin inilaan natin ang ganung mga halaga upang mapigilan ang pag drop-out at makapagtapos sila. At ganun ang gusto natin—ang makapagtapos sila imbes na nagbibigay tayo ng tulong pinansyal pero titigil naman sila sa pag-aaral sa gitna ng taon," dagdag ni Gatchalian.
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