Stronger free college law signed: Legarda says more students can stay in school, finish their studies

Senator Loren Legarda welcomed the enactment of Republic Act No. 12325, calling it a major step forward in her continuing push to ensure that quality tertiary education is within reach of Filipino families regardless of income.

The new law strengthens the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act by improving the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), directing assistance more deliberately toward the poorest students, and recognizing that the cost of education goes far beyond tuition.

“Hindi sapat na libre ang tuition kung wala namang pamasahe ang estudyante papasok, walang pambili ng libro, kapos sa pagkain, o napipilitang huminto para tumulong sa pamilya. Free college must mean that a student has a real chance not only to enroll, but to stay in school and graduate,” Legarda said.

The law was signed by the President on September 4, 2026. Legarda principally sponsored and authored Senate Bill No. 1894, which strengthened Republic Act No. 10931 by making student assistance more responsive to the actual financial burden of pursuing college or technical-vocational education.

Among its key reforms is stronger targeting of TES toward students who need government assistance most. Senior high school graduates from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households will be prioritized for TES once admitted to qualified higher education or technical-vocational institutions.

The reform addresses a significant gap identified by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II). The share of TES beneficiaries coming from the poorest households fell from 70.73 percent in 2018 to 22.89 percent in 2022. Of 384,388 senior high school completers from 4Ps households, only 4,746, or 1.23 percent, received TES as first-year beneficiaries in Academic Year 2024–2025.

“Malinaw ang ipinakita ng datos. Maraming kabataang dapat unang naaabot ng tulong ang hindi nakikinabang dito. Kaya pinalakas natin ang sistema upang matiyak na mas maraming pamilyang kapos ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataong mapagtapos ang kanilang mga anak. Hindi natin maaaring tawaging universal ang oportunidad kung ang pinakamahihirap ang nahuhuli sa pag-abot ng tulong,” Legarda said.

The law also provides for regular reviews of TES amounts so that government assistance can respond to changes in the actual cost of education.

To make tertiary education more inclusive, state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges, and state-run technical-vocational institutions are also required to adopt Equity and Inclusion Plans aimed at removing barriers faced by persons with disabilities, students from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, indigenous peoples, and learners from other disadvantaged backgrounds.

The strengthened law further establishes the Private Education Assistance Program, which extends support to qualified students in private higher education institutions and technical-vocational schools, expanding the educational options available to learners who require financial assistance.

Legarda, who currently serves as an EDCOM II Commissioner and previously served as its Co-Chairperson, and as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, said the legislation advances a principle she has consistently pushed in education policy: that government must look beyond how many students enter school and focus on whether they are actually able to finish.

“Hangarin nating matiyak na walang kabataang Pilipino ang mawawalan ng pagkakataong makatanggap ng de-kalidad na edukasyon dahil lamang kapos ang kanyang pamilya. Hindi dapat kakulangan sa pera ang maging dahilan para maputol ang pag-aaral at maudlot ang pangarap,” Legarda concluded. (30)