Government offers free education to unemployed college dropouts

MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of thousands of unemployed college dropouts and high school graduates who did not pursue college can take advantage of the government’s free tertiary education program so that they can obtain a degree, re-electionist Sen. Sonny Angara said yesterday.

Angara, one of the authors of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, estimated that there are about 360,000 unemployed university dropouts and high school graduates who have not entered college.

“Now is the best opportunity to return to college because tuition is free in state universities and colleges (SUCs),” the senator said. “This is their chance to complete their college degrees and create a brighter future for themselves and their families.”

RA  10931 guarantees free tuition and other miscellaneous fees in SUCs.

Angara encouraged jobless college dropouts and high school graduates to enroll since they are still eligible for free higher education in 112 SUCs across the country.

In 2018, there were around 2.3 million jobless Filipinos, according to the Labor Force Survey conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment, and 16 percent of the figure or roughly 368,000 were college undergraduates.

Angara said he strongly believes education is the great socioeconomic equalizer and a stepping stone to something better.

“Finishing college means being able to pursue employment opportunities that are unavailable without a degree,” he said.

“College education could ensure that all children of any class have a shot at success,” he added, noting that good job opportunities require higher education.

 For those who dropped out of college but are already working, Angara encouraged them to continue their studies and earn a degree.

“We’ve heard a lot of stories of college dropouts who want to finish their degree to set an example for their own children. For some, it means being able to finally apply for that promotion at work,” he said.

Aside from free tuition and miscellaneous fees in SUCs, another important component of RA 10931 is the Tertiary Education Subsidy or TES, a grants-in-aid program that provides funding for students from the poorest-of-the-poor households enrolled in public and private higher education institutions (HEIs).

As vice chairman of the Senate finance committee, Angara sponsored the 2019 budget of the Commission on Higher Education, which includes an allocation of P46 billion for the implementation of RA 10931, making it the biggest budget for free college education in Philippine history.

Even with free tuition in public universities and colleges, the senator said students enrolled in private HEIs would continue to receive scholarship grants from government.