COA report: CHED has more than P435-M scholarship deficiencies

More than P435 million worth of scholarship deficiencies have prevented the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) from effectively implementing its student financial assistance program, the Commission on Audit said in its annual report.

In the 2016 audit, COA said the bulk of the amount, or P140 million, came from delayed processing of claims and release of payments to CHED scholars in regions 1, 2, 5, 11 and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

"In five [CHED regional offices], processing of claims and release of payments were delayed from one month to more than a year, thus depriving beneficiaries of the immediate use of the funds for their educational needs," state auditors said in the report.

The COA report said CHED regional offices in Southern and Central Mindanao have P120 million worth of unliquidated payment benefits.

The report added CHED's office in Region 11 had unliquidated fund transfers to universities and colleges for the second semester of academic year 2016 to 2017 due to inefficient monitoring systems.

More than P99 million in payments for schools in Region 12 meant to ensure the enrollment of CHED scholars also remained unaccounted.

The COA report also found that a total of 472 CHED scholars - 300 of them from Mimaropa - were included in the commission's roster of beneficiaries despite having academic deficiencies and failure to enroll in CHED priority courses.

They were followed by 102 scholars from the National Capital Region whose rates of benefits were not compliant with CHED guidelines.

The COA report also said that five CHED offices in regions 1, 2, 8, 9, and 12 had unclaimed and state checks totaling P77 million due to lapses in the processing of claims of scholars.

State auditors urged CHED regional offices to enforce the liquidation of transferred funds to universities and colleges and comply with auditing rules on processing scholarships.

They also called on CHED to "ensure that the financial benefits are processed and released to the rightful claimants/beneficiaries."

The COA said that most CHED regional offices mentioned in the report have promised to improve the procedures in processing scholars' benefits, beef up manpower, and exert more effort in communicating with their scholars.

The audit report was transmitted to the office of CHED Chairperson Patricia Licuanan on June 23. —ALG/KVD, GMA News