CoA tags CHEd aid distribution lapses

The Commission on Audit (CoA) flagged lapses and deficiencies in the distribution and implementation of the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHEd) scholarship programs for students and teachers.

In its annual audit, state auditors identified issues with CHEd programs such as the CHEd Merit Scholarship Program (CMSP), the Staff and Instructors’ Knowledge Advancement Program (SIKAP) and the Coconut Scholarship Program.

For the CMSP, CoA found concerns about irregular disbursements, unsupported payments, and unliquidated fund transfers totaling P716.19 million in 2025.

The report noted that the program was meant to provide financial assistance to academically qualified incoming or first-year college students based on merit.

The audit, however, found delays in the call for applicants, issues with beneficiaries meeting requirements, failure to submit disbursement vouchers, and distribution to students enrolled in non-priority programs.

Weak fund controls

State auditors said that the findings “indicate weaknesses in internal controls over eligibility validation, documentation, monitoring, and fund accountability, resulting in increased exposure to errors and inefficiencies in program implementation.”

CoA likewise emphasized that the presence of such issues posed risks when it came to the “regularity, propriety, and validity” of the transactions that were taken in relation to the program.

SIKAP grants, meanwhile, were questioned by the audit agency after it found deficiencies in transactions amounting to P134.97 million due to policy gaps and the absence of defined timelines for teachers to return to service.

The report said the inconsistencies were found at CHEd’s regional offices in Region III and Region X.