President Aquino Signs Law on Financial Assistance to Poor Students

President Benigno S. Aquino III has signed into law the bill providing financial support to students from underprivileged families.

The President signed last October 15 Republic Act 10687, which provides for a comprehensive and unified student financial assistance system for tertiary education (UniFAST).

Under the law, more qualified students will be able to access government-funded scholarships, grants-in-aid, and low-cost educational loans.

Republic Act 10687 also requires the creation of a Board that will formulate and approve policies and strategies; coordinate with the implementing agencies of existing Student Financial Assistance Program (StuFAP) in the formulation, approval and issuance of guidelines towards the development and promotion of the UniFAST; and adopt a qualifying examination system for scoring students for merit and talent-based StuFAPs and determine the eligibility for grants-in-aid and other modalities of StuFAP.

The Board is composed of the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education; director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; secretary of the Department of Education; and representatives of the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Labor and Employment, National Economic and Development Authority, and the National Youth Commission.

The UniFAST bill was authored by Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo, also the chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education and Technical Education. (PCOO/PND (jm)