The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P3.74 billion for the government’s free college assistance program.
In a statement yesterday, the DBM said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved the issuance of the special allotment release order to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
The amount shall be used for the implementation of CHED’s Tulong Dunong Program which provides financial assistance to qualified and deserving students pursuing a college degree.
The released amount is set to benefit 247,135 student-grantees enrolled in CHED-recognized public and private higher education institutions, to aid the cost of tertiary education, for the second semester of the academic year (AY) 2023-2024 and the first semester of AY 2024-2025.
“This scholarship program is a huge help for our students, especially those who are having financial difficulty or simply cannot afford to go to college,” Pangandaman said.
“Providing necessary funds for programs like this gives them a fighting chance to complete their degrees and ultimately give them a better future,” she added.
The Tulong Dunong Program is one of the components of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education-Tertiary Education Subsidy.
