Scholarship grants for students in private schools will continue

Students enrolled in private universities and colleges will continue to receive scholarship grants despite the implementation of the free higher education law next year, House Appropriation Committee chairman Karlo Nograles said on Sunday.

"If you talk about free higher education kasi, ang interpretation kasi namin diyan, hindi mawawala yung ibang scholarships para sa private colleges," Nograles told radio dzBB in an interview.

Nograles said other scholarship grants are still available for private school students who will not be affected by free tuition for state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs) and technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).

These include the Tulong Dunong program, the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and merit scholarships.

"Kaya nga, kung naaalala ninyo, ang unang announcement ng DBM (Department of Budget and Management) ay may P16 billion in scholarship grant na nakakalat sa budget na pwede nating kunin para sa free higher education," he said.

"Pero nung tinignan ko kasi yan, yung sinasabing P16 billion, kasama diyan yung P8 billion na embedded for SUCs pati yung ibang P8 billion para sa scholarships ng mga bata na nag-aaral sa private schools and universities," he added.

Nograles said he wanted to leave the already-appropriated P8-billion budget for private colleges and universities so that the scholarship programs for them may continue.

"Kapag kinuha natin 'yan, malaking problema dahil ano pang aasahan ng mga ito... kung sila ay nag-aaral sa private universities?" he said.

"So inaasahan po next year, ganun din ang system. Meron din tayong ilalaan na pero sa SUCs, LUCs, pati sa mga TVIs, pero yung mga ongoing program for private colleges, iiwanan din natin ng pondo doon," he added.

Nograles also took note of the possible "exodus" of students from private to state universities and colleges to avail free tuition.

"May ganung klaseng concern. Lalo nang mag-exodus kung kinuha natin yung mga [budget na] naka-embed na, yung mga nakabigay sa mga private colleges and universities," he said.

"So sabi ko, pabayaan na natin yan. Yung ibang para sa private, ibigay natin sa private. Kunin lang natin yung para matupad lang itong batas," he added.

Nograles said he also wanted to give students a choice on which educational institution they should study in based on accessibility.

"Kung parehas para sa kanya accessible yung private and SUC at talagang mas mura sa SUC, pipiliin niya talaga ang SUC," he said.

"Otherwise, kung accessible naman sa kanya ang private at meron naman siyang pagkukunan ng scholarship doon, either sa TES, Tulong Dunong or merit scholarship, doon na lang siya," he added.

At a press conference last Thursday, Nograles said his panel has already found a source for P40 billion to fund the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, sourced from projects of various government agencies which can no longer be implemented.

With this amount, Nograles said free tuition and miscellaneous expenses for all SUCs will be covered, including the University of the Philippines System, LUCs and TVIs for 2018. —LBG, GMA News