Students enrolled in allied health sciences programs are set to receive much-needed financial relief after the Bicameral Conference Committee approved the proposal to allocate P500 million for Related Learning Experience (RLE) financial assistance under the 2026 national budget.

The funding, introduced by Senator Bam Aquino as an individual amendment during Senate budget deliberations, will be placed under the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the Higher Education Development Program. 

The amount is specifically earmarked to support students in meeting the costly requirements of RLE, which is equivalent to on-the-job training and a prerequisite for graduation in many health-related courses.

The assistance will cover students enrolled in allied health sciences programs such as Nursing, Medical Technology or Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Speech-Language Pathology, Human Biology and other pre-med allied programs, Dentistry, Biochemistry, and Psychology.

Aquino said the measure directly addresses the high cost of RLE, which has forced many nursing and allied health students to drop out of school. 

“Iyong RLE na napakamahal, maraming nagda-dropout na nursing students. Ngayon, may subsidiya, kasama na sila (Your RLE is very expensive, and many nursing students end up dropping out. Now that there is a subsidy, they are include),” he said in a television interview on Wednesday.

The senator stressed that the financial assistance is expected to ease the burden on students and their families, help prevent dropouts, and ensure the completion of required clinical training. 

The issue was first raised to Aquino during the campaign for the 2025 senatorial elections, when nursing students shared that many of their peers were forced to stop studying due to the high expenses associated with RLE. 

Aquino said he committed then to finding a solution. 

Under a special provision in the 2026 budget, the P500 million allocation will be used to provide one-time financial assistance to students while they complete their RLE requirements. Aquino said low-income students will be prioritized, with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) tasked to issue guidelines to ensure fair and efficient implementation.

To institutionalize the subsidy, Aquino has also filed Senate Bill No. 123, which seeks to make RLE free in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs). The proposed measure also allows nursing students in private institutions to apply for Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) assistance to cover RLE-related expenses.

The bicameral panel likewise approved increased funding for higher education, including P67 billion for the implementation of the Free Higher Education Act or Republic Act No. 10931, as well as additional funds for the TES program.

Overall, the committee approved a record P1.38 trillion education budget for 2026—the highest in Philippine history—including P68 billion for classroom construction and P25.6 billion for the School-Based Feeding Program.