The Commission of Higher Education (CHED) said late Sunday that the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) stipends are set to be distributed to more than 292,000 grantees for A.Y. 2019-2020. Together with the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), CHED has started the release of additional TES stipends to 292,438 beneficiaries studying in both public and private higher education institutions (HEIs). CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said he instructed all colleges and universities to fast track the distribution of the subsidy so more students can attend the coming academic year, which will see a shift from classroom education to flexible learning. “We know that the students need this badly during the pandemic,” De Vera said.  

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  The new batch of stipends comes after the Department of Budget and Management recently downloaded P6 billion to the CHED, the commission said. According to the CHED, the following are expected to receive their TES:

1. 3,529 Expanded Students’ Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) beneficiaries (1st semester)
2. 44,224 new grantees in public HEIs (1st semester)
3. 97,173 continuing private HEIs grantees (1st semester and part of 2nd semester)
4. 147,512 continuing Tulong Dunong Program beneficiaries (1st and 2nd semester)

  Last May 15, 2020, more than 700 students from 404 colleges and universities nationwide received their TES for the first semester of Academic Year 2019 to 2020. Colleges and universities can start their school year depending on their learning delivery mode.  

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  Higher education institutions using full online education were allowed to open any time after May 31, while those with flexible learning can start in August. Moreover, CHED said that for schools using significant face-to-face mode can open in September.

  —(Source: UniFAST, ABS-CBN News)