The government has released P9.753 billion to cover funding deficiencies incurred by 108 state universities and colleges (SUCs) under the Free Higher Education (FHE) Program.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the funding covers validated arrears from Academic Years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, easing costs that the beneficiary institutions had previously absorbed using their own resources.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released the funds to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), which will facilitate their distribution to the concerned SUCs through the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST).
DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert De Leon said the release supports the government’s commitment to education while keeping public spending within available fiscal resources.
“With this release, we are making nearly P10 billion available to address funding requirements of our state universities and colleges while maintaining that careful fiscal balance,” De Leon said in a statement Sunday.
The funding is expected to give the affected SUCs greater fiscal space for other lawful institutional needs, including academic and research programs, student services, laboratories, libraries, information technology resources and learning facilities.
It may also support medical, dental, guidance, athletic and cultural services, as well as the rehabilitation, improvement or expansion of university facilities, subject to existing budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and available funds.
The release was charged against the DBM’s built-in appropriations under the 2026 General Appropriations Act and the Special Account in the General Fund-Higher Education Development Fund.
The FHE Program was established under Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act. The law provides free tuition and other school fees in SUCs and CHED-recognized local universities and colleges.
De Leon said the government must weigh available fiscal space, legal authority, project readiness and the urgency of competing national needs when allocating public funds.
“Hindi unlimited ang resources ng gobyerno. Kaya ang hamon sa atin ay hindi lamang gumastos, kundi tiyaking bawat pisong inilalabas ay napupunta sa tamang pangangailangan, sa tamang panahon, at nang hindi napapabayaan ang iba pang mahahalagang serbisyo ng pamahalaan,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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