Politics · Philippines Bureau
CHEd seeks P17B budget boost for 940,000 free tuition students
The Commission on Higher Education is requesting an additional P17 billion in next year's national budget to sustain its free higher education program. CHEd leadership warned lawmakers that further cuts to the program are no longer feasible.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has appealed for P17 billion in additional funding under the proposed 2027 national budget to maintain free tuition assistance for approximately 940,000 students across the Philippines.
Chairperson Shirley Agrupis presented the budget request during the Senate committee on finance's deliberations on CHEd's spending allocation. The commission emphasized that the requested amount is critical to sustaining the free higher education initiative without reducing beneficiary coverage or program scope.
The plea comes as lawmakers review agency budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. CHEd stressed that further reductions to its allocation would directly impact the number of students able to access free tuition assistance, potentially limiting educational opportunities for thousands of qualified Filipinos.
The free higher education program has become a cornerstone of the government's education policy, enabling students from low-income families to pursue tertiary studies at state universities and colleges. The commission's budget request reflects ongoing efforts to address affordability barriers in higher education amid growing student enrollment demand across the nation.