In a bid to continuously provide Filipino students the opportunity to complete their college education, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Mina F. Pangandaman has approved the release of a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to a total of P3.744 billion to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
The funds will be used to implement CHED’s Tulong Dunong Program, which provides financial assistance to qualified and deserving students who are pursuing their college degrees. “This scholarship program is a huge help for our dear students, especially those who are having financial difficulty or simply cannot afford to go to college. Providing necessary funds for programs like this gives them a fighting chance to complete their degrees and ultimately give them a better future. As what President Bongbong Marcos said, no Filipino should be left behind,” said Secretary Pangandaman.
The Budget Secretary approved the release of the SARO for this purpose on April 15, 2024. The released amount will benefit around 247,135 student-grantees enrolled in CHED-recognized public and private higher education institutions, to assist them with the costs of tertiary education, for the second semester of Academic Year (AY) 2023-2024 and the first semester of AY 2024-2025.
The Tulong Dunong Program is part of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education - Tertiary Education Subsidy (UAQTE-TES).