CHED promises closer monitoring of scholarship grants

The Commission on Higher Education has acknowledged lapses in its management of scholarships but said it is instituting reforms after the Commission on Audit found discrepancies through an annual audit.

 

On December 30, COA reported CHED had approved grants to students beyond the limit of P15,000 per semester. COA also noted a lack of documentation for claims amounting to P112,638,412.

The same report said a due amount of P138,591,978 for the "Study Now, Pay Later" program was reported by nine CHED regional offices, but only P2,469,242 was collected. COA cited non-enforcement of terms in student contracts and a lack of manpower as some of the reasons behind CHED's inefficient collection.

 

CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan, in a "24 Oras" report aired Thursday evening, admitted the commission was lax in monitoring scholarships that were paid for through the now-abolished Priority Development Assistance Fund and Disbursement Acceleration Program.

She said CHED has already changed the systems that were in place when the COA conducted its audit.
 

Licuanan added CHED is making sure scholarships will reach those who really need it, and that the documentation of each scholar is rigidly monitored.

"In a way, each year we get better, and I think the timing of this is good. We have been pushing for this unified reform for scholarships. We call it the UniFAST Bill. They will be more rational, they will follow the same guidelines, and go to the right people," said Licuanan.

 

The UniFAST or Unified Financial Assistance System for Higher and Technical Education bill proposes to unify all government-funded scholarships and aid programs for students in all regions to have an "equitable and democratic access to quality education."

 

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, who filed the bill, said last year that students whose families are beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program are priority targets of UniFAST. — Rie Takumi/JDS, GMA News