CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 has encouraged student beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to avail of government tertiary education support programs to assist them with their educational expenses.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) offers to qualified and eligible poor households, including 4Ps student beneficiaries, various assistance through the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST).
UniFAST is an attached agency of CHED that unifies and harmonizes government-funded student financial assistance programs (StuFAPs).
DSWD-7 regional director Shalaine Marie Lucero said that 4Ps student-beneficiaries may inquire from CHED the various educational assistance, including free higher education, free technical-vocational education and training, the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), the Tulong Dunong Program (TDP), and other specialized forms of StuFAPs for tertiary education.
“As we all know in 4Ps, beneficiaries graduate from the program once their children graduate from senior high school or turn 19, whichever comes first, and so these programs from CHED can help ease the financial burden of the family, especially for those students who aspire to pursue higher education,” said Lucero.
DSWD-7 has sent written notices through the 4Ps City and Municipal Links (C/MLs) to inform the 4Ps partner beneficiaries of the various educational assistance offered by UniFAST, indicating the qualifications and benefits of each program.
The 4Ps beneficiaries may avail of these programs at any state universities and colleges (SUCs) and CHED-recognized local universities and colleges (LUCs), according to Republic Act 10931, which exempts students from paying tuition and other school fees.
In Central Visayas, the SUCs are the following: Bohol Island State University (BISU), Cebu Normal University (CNU), Cebu Technological University (CTU), Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), and Siquijor State College (SSC). — (FREEMAN)