Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10931)
The short title of Republic Act No. 10931 is the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act."
The State declares that quality education is an inalienable right of all Filipinos and shall protect and promote the rights of students to quality education at all levels, making education accessible to all and recognizing the complementary roles of public and private educational institutions.
Qualified students are those who meet all the qualifications under Sections 4 and 5 and none of the disqualifications under Section 6, including being enrolled in SUCs, LUCs, or state-run TVIs, and meeting admission and retention requirements.
The institutions covered include State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), and state-run Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) under TESDA.
Students who have already attained a bachelor’s or comparable undergraduate degree, those who fail to comply with admission and retention policies, and those who fail to complete their degree within one year after the prescribed period are not eligible.
UniFAST administers the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and the Student Loan Program for tertiary education, harmonizing state-run scholarships, grants-in-aid, loans, and other financial assistance programs.
Violators shall face imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than one year, or a fine ranging from Php20,000 to Php100,000, or both, at the court's discretion. If a university or college is involved, the president or responsible officer may be held liable.
TES may cover tuition and other school fees in private HEIs and TVIs, allowances for books, supplies, transportation, miscellaneous expenses, room and board, disability-related costs, and one-time costs for professional licenses or certifications.
They must create mechanisms allowing students with financial capacity to voluntarily opt out of the free tuition and subsidy or to make a contribution to the institution, with full reporting of such payments to CHED or TESDA.
Repayment begins once the beneficiary secures gainful employment with compensation reaching the Compulsory Repayment Threshold (CRT), and it may be collected via monthly SSS or GSIS contributions or other means for those outside these systems.