What is UniFast?

Geographically isolated regions and a lack of adequate infrastructure impact the Philippines’ education system. However, those are not the only reasons why people struggle to access quality education. The high poverty rate and income inequality are crucial factors that prevent a significant part of the country’s population from pursuing higher education.

That is where UniFast plays an instrumental role in addressing the major challenges and enables students of varying socio-economic backgrounds to pursue higher education.

But what is UniFast, and how does it contribute to the Philippines’ education system? Let’s find out:

What is UniFast?

UniFast, or the United Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education, is a government body of the Philippines that was established through Republic Act No. 10687. It functions as a regulatory agency to streamline and expand all nationally funded STuFAPs for tertiary education in a unified system.

Although several government agencies managed their financial grant and loan programs previously, inherent inefficiencies and difficulties posed great challenges for students. UniFast emerged as a primary government initiative to centralize the financial aid, enabling potential Filipino students to get equitable educational opportunities across public, private, and TVET institutions.

Therefore, it prioritizes formulating specific guidelines and policies for STuFAPs (Student Financial Assistance Programs). Hence, it includes merit- and talent-based scholarships, grants-in-aid for students from poor or marginalized families, etc.

Additionally, it puts equal emphasis on student loan programs to help learners with educational expenses and additional specialized financial assistance. Unifast’s initiatives enable students from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete their tertiary education and break the cycle of poverty across generations.

Objectives of UniFAST

• Increase higher education and TVET accessibility for all qualified Filipinos, particularly those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Ensure transparency and equality while allocating financial aid, allowing the most financially struggling and academically meritorious students to get essential resources.
• Reduce administrative burdens and ensure the timely disbursement of funds by improving the effectiveness of StuFAPs.
• Promote collaboration between UniFAST and higher educational institutes and TVET providers, which will ultimately help implement StuFAPs.
• Act as a significant source of information on existing financial assistance programs, allowing students and their families to navigate them easily.
• Help Filipinos acquire skills and knowledge imperative for employment and economic growth, thereby contributing to national development.
• Track and evaluate the impact of StuFAPs by making data-driven decisions that ultimately assist in facilitating continuous improvement and policy adjustments.
• Facilitate financial assistance to students across various regions and belonging to different socio-economic backgrounds and fields of study.

Free Higher Education Law and UniFAST’s Role

The Philippine government launched RA 10931, which is also known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act. This law mandates free tuition and other school fees in state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges, and state-run technical-vocational institutions.

UniFAST has been designated as the implementing body of Republic Act 10931, which covers the following programs:

Free Higher Education (FHE)

Free Higher Education, or FHE, allows eligible Filipino students to enroll in state universities and colleges, CHED-recognized institutions, and local universities and colleges with tuition and miscellaneous fee exemptions. This program eliminates one of the key financial obstacles to pursuing tertiary education by allowing students to focus on academics without stressing about fee payments.

Free Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

Students can enroll in TESDA-run technical-vocational institutions under the free TVET program and obtain knowledge and industry-oriented skills, making them job-ready. This program covers training, tuition, and national assessment fees.

Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES)

The Tertiary Education Subsidy, or TES, allows underprivileged students to get financial assistance up to PHP 60,000 per academic year. Students who are listed in the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) at state universities and colleges and local universities and colleges can apply for the program.

Student Loan Program for Tertiary Education (SLPTE)

SLPTE is a loan program that provides short-term and long-term low-interest loans for students in public and private institutions. This program has been developed to help students finance their studies when the subsidies and scholarships fail to cover the educational expenses while allowing them to repay the loan as per their capacity in the future.

Operational Mechanism

The UniFAST Board functions under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and it includes the following members:

• The CHED Chairperson as ex officio chairperson.
• The Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as an ex-officio co-chairperson.
• The TESDA Director General, as an ex officio co-chairperson.
• The Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) as an ex-officio member.
• A Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) representative as an ex officio member.
• A National Economic and Development Authority representative as an ex officio member.
• A National Youth Commission (NYC) representative as an ex officio member.

Functions of the Board

• The board develops and approves UniFast strategies and policies and re-evaluates existing policies to ensure that they are consistent with the policy framework for RA No. 10687.
• It develops, approves, and submits budget proposals to the CHED; it also adjusts, investigates, and integrates all the public funding requests of tertiary education StuPAFs.
• Establish and promote guidelines and regulations to ensure the eligibility of candidates for student financial assistance for tertiary education.
• Track, assess, and develop the impact evaluations of StuFAPs and projects to ensure the effectiveness of the programs. As a result, it would help the board to determine whether or not to implement, continue, or discontinue the programs.
• Establish general guidelines for developing contracts with the student beneficiaries, helping to clarify their rights and obligations. Therefore, it includes the service clause and other mandatory regulations related to cost recovery.
• The board conducts twelve regular meetings annually, but it has the authority to determine the frequency of meetings four years after implementing its IRR.

The Future of UniFAST

Digitization of Process

The board aims to reduce its administrative overload by digitizing its procedures, including the application, validation, and disbursement processes. In effect, the digitized platform will help reduce paperwork and processing time while fostering transparency between students and institutions.

Stronger Data Integration

Free education and subsidies don’t cover all students; therefore, the board aims to expand the student loan programs. One of the strategic ways that it wishes to accomplish its objective is through flexible terms and easier repayment options, helping to facilitate a broad range of students, particularly those in private institutions and postgraduate studies.

Continuous Policy Development

The board will continue to refine and adjust its policies in response to the evolving educational landscape. For example, it will update the eligibility criteria for finance assistance beneficiaries and improve fund allocation methods. Additionally, it will consult with the stakeholders to make the system efficient and inclusive and in line with national development goals.