Around 20,000 nursing and allied health sciences students are set to benefit from P500 million in financial assistance for their Related Learning Experience (RLE) under the 2026 national budget, Senator Bam Aquino announced on Sunday, 18 January 2026.

Aquino met with nursing students in Cebu City whom he first encountered while campaigning for the 2025 senatorial elections.

During their earlier meeting, the students raised concerns over the high cost of RLE—equivalent to on-the-job training and a graduation requirement for nursing students—which Aquino committed to address.

Fulfilling that promise, Aquino said he secured P500 million in the 2026 national budget under the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the Higher Education Development Program.

The amount is specifically earmarked to support RLE requirements of allied health sciences students.

“We were able to include in the budget a P500-million scholarship specifically for RLE, providing up to P20,000 per semester,” Aquino said.

“That’s good for about 20,000 students. I think there are around 100,000 nursing students in the Philippines, so one-fifth can receive assistance,” he added.

Aquino emphasized that underprivileged students will be prioritized, with detailed guidelines to be issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure equitable and efficient implementation of the program.

The senator also thanked the students for raising the issue, noting that their concerns played a crucial role in shaping the proposal.

“You can be proud and you can say, dahil nag-session tayo sa IT Park ay may nabuong pondong iyan. A lot of our laws, when we consult and talk to the people we want to help, or to other leaders like mayors, we gain insights that shape these measures,” Aquino said.

In addition to the budget allocation, Aquino has filed Senate Bill No. 123, which seeks to make RLE free in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) as well as Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs).

Under the proposed measure, nursing students enrolled in private universities would be able to apply for Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) assistance to cover RLE-related expenses.

Aquino said the combined budget support and proposed legislation aim to ease the financial burden on future healthcare workers, particularly as the country continues to face a shortage of nurses and allied health professionals.