Declaration of Policy
It is hereby declared that quality education is an inalienable
Who is implementing RA
10931?
The Unified Student Financial Assistance
System for Tertiary Education or UniFAST
is the government agency in charge of
implementing the Universal Access to
Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA10931).
The UniFAST was created in 2015 by virtue
of RA 10687 as a system to unify existing
government student financial assistance
programs for Tertiary Education in the
Philippines The UniFAST will ensure that
deserving Filipinos are given equitable
access to educational opportunities
right of all Filipinos and it is the policy of the State to protect
and promote the rights of all students to quality education at
all levels. Therefore, the State shall take appropriate steps to
make such education accessible to all.
Likewise, the State hereby recognizes the complementary roles
of public and private higher education institutions and
technical-vocational institutions in the educational system and
the invaluable contribution that the private tertiary schools
have made and will make to education. For these intents, the
States hall:
(a) Provide adequate funding and such other mechanisms to
increase the participation rate among all socioeconomic
classes in tertiary education; Universal Access to
(b) Provide all Filipinos with equal opportunity to quality
tertiary education in both the private and public educational
Quality Tertiary
institutions;
Education Act
(c) Give priority to students who are academically able and
who come from poor families; R.A. 10931
(d) Ensure the optimized utilization of government resources in
education;
(e) Provide adequate guidance and incentives in channeling
young Filipinos in their career choices and towards the proper
development and utilization of human resources; and
(f) Recognize the complementary roles of public and private
institutions in tertiary educational system.
REFERENCES:
https://unifast.gov.ph/uniqtea.php
https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repact
s/ra2017/ra_10931_2017.html

What is Republic Act 10931?
Signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 03 August
2017,Republic Act (RA) No.10931, otherwise known as
the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act is
“an act promoting universal access to quality tertiary
education by providing free tuition and other school fees
in State Universities and Colleges, Local Universities and
Colleges, and State-Run Technical-Vocational
Institutions, establishing the Tertiary Education Subsidy
and Student Loan Program, strengthening the Unified
Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary
Education, and appropriating fund therefore, “as stated in
the title of the Law. What is the difference between Free
Tuition 2017 and RA 10931?
Free Tuition 2017 is a special program of the government
that was inserted in the budget of the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED) that made tuition fees free in
State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for Academic
Year (AY) 2017-2018. Miscellaneous and other school
fees are not covered in Free Tuition 2017.
Republic Act 10931 or the “Universal Access to Quality
Tertiary Education Act,” is a law that expanded and
enhanced the coverage of Free Tuition 2017. It is
composed of four (4) equally important programs:
1) Free Higher Education (tuition and miscellaneous fees)
in SUCs and CHED-recognized Local Universities and
Colleges;
2) Free Technical-Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) in public and private institutions registered with
TESDA.
Are there funds to implement the
3) Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) or grants-in-aid for
poor students in public and private institutions; and law?
4) Student Loan Program (SLP) for tertiary education Congress allocated PhP40 billion for the first year of
students implementation of the law in the 2018 General
Appropriations Act (GAA) to be implemented in AY
2018-2019. UniFAST and CHED will continue to
advocate in both Houses of Congress to ensure that
When did RA 10931 and its sufficient funds and budget will continue to be
Implementing Rules and appropriated for RA 10931 programs in succeeding
Regulations become effective? years.
In fact, aside from the regular Php 40 Billion allocation
The law was signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on
for RA 10931 in the 2019 GAA, a Tier 2 budget of Php
03 August 2017 and became effective 15 days after
11 Billion has been added by the Department of Budget
publication in the Official Gazette. Most of the provisions
and Management (DBM) for the Tertiary Education
of the law have been implemented starting AY 20182019.
Subsidy in AY 2019-2020.
The UniFAST Governing Board approved the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10931 How much budget was allocated for
on February 22, 2018, launched the IRR on March 26,
2018. The IRR was published in the August 3, 2018 issue
the implementation of RA10931?
of Manila Bulletin.
For AY 2018-2019, the government allocated the amount
of Php 40 billion for the first year of implementation of
RA10931.Budget of the four programs under the law are
How many SUC students enjoyed for:
Free Tuition 2017?
Program Budget
CHED OIC J. Prospero E. De Vera III reported to Free Higher Education Php16 billion
President Rodrigo R. Duterte during the Malacañang Free Technical-
Signing Ceremony of the 112 SUCs and 78 CHED Vocational
recognized LUCs on June 13, 2018 as well as to the Education and Training Php 7 billion
Congressional Committee on Higher and Technical
Education on July 30, 2018, that close to 900,000 SUC
Tertiary Education Php 16 billion
studentsdidnotpaytuitionanymoreforAY2017-2018. Subsidy
Student Loan Program Php 1 billion
Total Php 40 billion