Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 6728)
It is known as the 'Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act.'
The State declares its policy to promote and make quality education accessible to all Filipino citizens, recognizing the complementary roles of public and private educational institutions and providing mechanisms to improve the quality of private education.
Assistance programs are based on criteria such as tuition fees charged by private schools, socio-economic needs of each region, overall school performance, academic qualifications and financial needs of students, geographic spread, size of student population, and accreditation status of schools.
Only students who are citizens of the Philippines and who meet criteria such as income limits and enrollment in accredited or applying private schools are eligible for assistance.
The forms of assistance include tuition fee supplements, high school textbook assistance funds, expansion of Educational Service Contracting scheme, voucher system under PESFA, scholarship grants to valedictorians and salutatorians, education loan fund, and college faculty development fund.
Students in private high schools charging less than P1,500 per year get a government voucher of P290 (or adjusted amount), with conditions on tuition payments, reimbursement, and residency requirements. Schools must use a significant portion of subsidies for personnel salaries and facility improvements with accounting transparency.
To provide assistance on a per student basis for the purchase of high school textbooks for private schools charging low tuition fees, supporting the Secondary Education Development Program, with restrictions against sectarian books.
A program where the government contracts with private schools to shoulder tuition and fees for excess students in public high schools or when there are no public high schools in a community, expanding access within four years.
Through the expanded Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA) Program, providing full or partial scholarships and allowances based on income and competitive exams, with priority courses determined by DECS and NEDA; also includes tuition waivers for five percent of entering freshmen including top secondary graduates.
A student is disqualified if they fail one school year in majority of subjects unless due to valid cause beyond control, or if they enroll for the first time or transfer outside their region unless pursuing priority courses not offered locally.
DECS may bar institutions from participating or benefiting from the Act's programs, and administrative or criminal charges may be filed. Schools refusing to provide audited financial statements lose the right to increase tuition fees and may face other sanctions.
The SAC provides policy guidance, monitors and evaluates programs, promulgates rules and regulations, and establishes criteria determining which schools participate, with membership from various government agencies and sector representatives.
A special Students Loan Fund administered by DECS or its delegated authority provides loans covering tuition and educational expenses; loans accrue max 12% interest and are payable after course completion and employment, with additional low-interest loans from the Social Security Fund for members and private institutions.
Funds come from DECS appropriations reduced from some programs, coconut levy portions, travel and airport taxes, collections from Sugar Regulatory Administration and Philippine Coconut Authority, Development Bank of the Philippines’ net income, Overseas Welfare Fund, and other appropriations, with a maximum of P500 million for fiscal year 1989.
Scholarships for graduate degrees and non-degree workshops/seminars for private college faculty to improve teaching quality, in priority courses, with a required three-year return service per scholarship year, excluding sectarian promotion.