MANY parents and stakeholders have grown wary that the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) of the Department of Education (DepEd) will be discontinued.
These speculations came after no announcement from DepEd has been released regarding the opening of the application period, which is usually done every December of the previous year until February of the succeeding year.
In a statement, DepEd assured the public of its commitment to continue with the implementation of the SHS VP for School Year (SY) 2019-2020.
DepEd added that in line with its mandate to uphold the right of every Filipino to quality basic education by providing access, whether through public programs or through arrangements based on the principles of public-private partnership DepEd will continue to engage the services of private educational institutions and non-DepEd public schools offering SHS through the voucher program under the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE).
DepEd noted that the delay in the acceptance of new SHS VP grantees is due to the dilemma of the reenactment of the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA). Under the FY 2018 GAA, the total appropriation for the SHS VP in private and non-DepEd schools is P14.4 billion, while the 2019 NEP is P20.3 billion. As a result, the program is short of funds equivalent to P5.9 billion. In view of this, the application for the SHS VP for SY 2019-2020 is yet to be opened pending the issuance of the FY 2019 GAA.
However, Grade 10 completers in SY 2018-2019 who fall under the following categories are automatically eligible and do not need to apply for vouchers: 1) all Grade 10 completers in public schools operated by DepEd; 2) all Grade 10 completers in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs); and 3) all Grade 10 completers in private schools who are ESC grantees. These automatic voucher recipients shall be accommodated in the program upon enrollment in any SHS VP-participating school.
In Region III, an amount of approximately 2.6 billion pesos was allocated for the 161,885 voucher recipients for SY 2018-2019. It is expected that with the same amount of funds for 2019, the same number of incoming and existing SHS students can avail the financial subsidy.
The voucher amount varies for a Grade 10 completer in a public JHS (100% voucher value) and from a private JHS (80% voucher value). The voucher amounts also vary based on location of the SHS taking into consideration the different cost of education in the locality.
In Central Luzon, the cost of the SHS Voucher amounts to P17,500 while the SHS Vouchers in Angeles City and Olongapo City which are highly-urbanized cities (HUCs) amount to P20,000.
Through the Voucher Program, students and their families are able to exercise greater choice in deciding the Senior High School program that is most relevant to their needs and career goals.
The voucher enables students to claim a “discount” or a deduction from the cost of tuition and other fees charged by a non-DepEd SHS where he or she will enroll. The voucher subsidy is not given to students directly in the form of cash but will be disbursed by DepEd to the non-DepEd SHS where he or she enrolls.