A Senate measure seeking to strengthen financial support for the country’s poorest college students cleared second reading Monday, marking a major step toward overhauling how government education subsidies are distributed.

Senate Bill (SB)1894, which amends the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or Republic Act No. 10931, aims to ensure that state assistance reaches students who are most at risk of being left behind despite the country’s free tuition policy.

The bill is being pushed by Bam Aquino and Loren Legarda, co-chairpersons of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), along with EDCOM 2 Commissioner Joel Villanueva.

At the heart of the proposal is a major reform of the government’s Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program. Instead of broad distribution, the bill would prioritize students from Listahanan households ranked by estimated per capita income, effectively directing aid first to the country’s poorest families.

The measure would also automatically qualify Senior High School graduates from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households for TES assistance. The move is seen to close long-standing access gaps in higher education.

The push for reform follows alarming findings from EDCOM 2, which revealed that free tuition alone has not guaranteed equal access to college education.

In its final report, the commission found that only 1.23 percent of Senior High School graduates from 4Ps families received TES assistance as of 2024, exposing what lawmakers described as weak targeting and limited reach among the country’s most financially vulnerable students.

The report also warned that many poor students continue to struggle with hidden education costs even when tuition is free, including transportation, housing, school supplies, and daily living expenses.

To address this, the proposed measure broadens TES coverage beyond tuition-related support. 

The bill would allow subsidies to cover books, transportation, living allowances, and even clinical internship and Related Learning Experience (RLE) fees for students taking nursing and allied health courses.

The additional support could help prevent financially struggling students from dropping out before completing their degrees.

The measure also introduces stricter accountability mechanisms, including mandatory reviews of TES grant amounts, stronger monitoring systems, and the creation of a unified learner reference system that would track beneficiaries throughout their education journey.

With the Senate approving the bill on second reading and the House of Representatives already passing its counterpart measure on third reading, the proposal is now edging closer to final passage.

Created under Republic Act No. 11899, Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM 2 is tasked with conducting a sweeping review of the Philippine education system and recommending reforms aimed at addressing what lawmakers have repeatedly described as a deepening education crisis.