January 27, 2019
Enrollees for free technical vocational education and training (TVET) under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or UAQTEA have reached 9,497 in the program’s initial implementation by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
According to TESDA Director General, Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña, the UAQTEA-Free TVET enrollees are part of the total 51,325 who had enlisted for availment of the program from October to December 2018.
The 9,497 scholars, who started their training last October 1, 2018, are enrolled in 212 institutions of the total 317 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), LGU-run training centers and TESDA Technology Institutions (TTIs) that implement UAQTEA-Free TVET in the country.
“Enrollees to Free TVET shall have the benefits covering the tuition, miscellaneous fees, and trainee support provisions (national competency assessment, instructional materials, living allowance, starter toolkit and workshop T-shirts),” explained Lapeña.
TESDA plans to produce 170,000 in the first batch of beneficiaries for academic year 2018-2019 of the UAQTEA-Free TVET, for which a budget of Php 6.9 billion has originally been allocated.
Republic Act No. 10931 also known as UAQTEA, seeks to give free tuition and other school fees to those enrolling or are enrolled in SUCs, LUCs, LGU-run training centers and TTIs, establish the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Student Loan Program (SLP), further strengthen the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), and to provide funds for its implementation.
The UAQTEA gives Filipinos from all walks of life the opportunity to avail of free tertiary education, and to give equal chances for them to receive this from both public and private institutions. The program gives priority to students who are technically-able but otherwise from poor families or impoverished backgrounds.
RA 10931 was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on April 3, 2017 for implementation in academic year 2018-2019.
Lapeña encouraged those interested to either visit the nearest TESDA Provincial Office or the TESDA website (www.tesda.gov.ph) for more information.
Share this page
