THE Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 is asking for an additional funding of P13 million to help eligible private students in the region under the Bayanihan 2 for Higher Education Tulong Program (B2Help),
Melissa Castillote, who is in charge of the Ched 7 scholarship office, said they already disbursed the initial budget of P25.2 million, which was the fourth biggest allocation nationwide, to more than 5,000 students in private higher education institutions (HEIs) last year.
Under the B2Help, an eligible student is entitled to a one-time grant of P5,000.
Castillote said 1,837 more private students are qualified to avail themselves of the assistance.
She said they’ve so far received P8.8 million from the Ched central office, adding that they’re just waiting for the rest of the amount so they can disburse the cash this month.
Students with an outstanding balance in tuition and miscellaneous fees for the academic year 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 were prioritized under B2Help, which was allocated P300 million under the Bayanihan 2 law.
Castillote said that it was not the students who applied for the one-time grant, but the HEIs who determined who among their students were eligible and submitted their recommendation to Ched 7 using parameters issued by the Commission—the student’s outstanding balance and the student’s year level.
The B2HELP aims to help graduating students, she said.
Meanwhile, the Ched 7 has yet to receive information from their central office regarding the status of the 14 HEIs that applied for a tuition increase.
Before the coronavirus pandemic struck the country in March last year, 37 HEIs submitted their application for a tuition increase. Since then, 23 have withdrawn their application.
Of the remaining 14 HEIs that applied, seven applied for a tuition increase for all year levels while seven applied for an increase for incoming freshmen. / WBS