President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday signed amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA), expanding government financial assistance for college and technical-vocational students, particularly those from poor and disadvantaged families.

“This Act reflects what our Bagong Pilipinas should always be: a country where every young Filipino, especially the most disadvantaged, has an equal chance at a quality tertiary education,” Marcos said during the ceremonial signing at Malacañang Palace.

“The Act builds on a record this Administration has been building on since day one,” he added.

Marcos said the amended law brings the country closer to a future where every Filipino family has at least one child who completes a bachelor’s degree or a technical-vocational education and training (TVET) program.

He said free tuition has removed a major barrier to tertiary education, but families continue to shoulder expenses for books, transportation, daily needs and other requirements that could prevent students and trainees from completing their studies.

The President said opening the doors of public colleges, universities and technical-vocational institutions is not enough.

“We must help all our learners remain in school or training until they complete their studies and acquire the skills that they need to succeed,” Marcos said.

The original UAQTEA provides free tuition and other school fees in public higher education institutions and state-run technical-vocational institutions while extending assistance to financially disadvantaged learners through the Tertiary Education Subsidy.

Under the amendments, government assistance will be further targeted toward students from poor and disadvantaged families, including qualified beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

“Poor and deserving students taking priority programs who are not covered by existing grants may also receive government support to pursue their studies in qualified private higher education and technical-vocational institutions. This expands the opportunities for more Filipinos to earn a degree, a diploma, or skills qualification,” Marcos said.

The amendments also seek to strengthen support for disadvantaged learners, expand financial assistance and improve monitoring and accountability mechanisms under the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education or UniFAST.

Republic Act No. 10687, or the UniFAST Act, rationalizes the allocation and use of government resources for student financial assistance and seeks to improve access to quality higher and technical education.

The Commission on Higher Education said UniFAST also serves as a national human resource development mechanism by directing beneficiaries toward priority courses needed for economic growth and development.