SHS Voucher Program still open for online application - DepEd
Published May 10, 2019 10:48 pm
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
The Department of Education (DepEd) assured that it will still open the online application for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) after going through all the necessary processes and procedures related to the program.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones
(DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN) Education Secretary Leonor Briones, in a recent press conference, said that DepEd “will not deprive a child of the opportunity to avail of free public education” regardless of his or her status. This, she explained, is because “it is a constitutional mandate not just to render educational services but quality education.” Learners and other stakeholders have been expressing concern on the delayed announcement regarding the SHS VP application. To appease these concerns, DepEd assured the public of its “commitment to continue with the program.” The SHS VP is a financial assistance program funded by the government – through the DepEd – which enables qualified Grade 10 completers to pursue their desired SHS education in private schools, state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local universities and colleges (LUCs) that offer SHS. DepEd Undersecretary for Finance-Budget and Performance Monitoring and Spokesperson Annalyn Sevilla explained that all Grade 10 completers in public schools operated by DepEd; those Grade 10 completers in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs); and all Grade 10 completers in private schools who are Education Service Contracting (ESC) grantees are “automatically eligible” under the SHS VP and they “do not need to apply for vouchers.” “These automatic voucher recipients shall be accommodated in the program upon enrollment in any SHS VP-participating school,” Sevilla explained. However, those grade 10 completers from private junior high schools who wish to avail of the financial subsidy still need to apply since they are not among the automatic voucher recipients. To date, the online application for SHS VP for SY 2019-2019 remains closed. Sevilla said that the online application for SHS VP has not yet given a “go signal” prior to the approval of the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA). “Ito yung hindi pa nabibigyan ng go signal dahil naghintay kami na ma-approve ang 2019 GAA,” Sevilla said. However, DepEd has been given a signal on May 1 – the effectivity date of the 2019 GAA – to implement the SHS VP as well as the “special provision” that DepEd can go into “joint management” with the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) which handles the voucher program. “Talks with PEAC are on-going because we need to determine how many can be absorbed into the online application,” Sevilla said. “It would be opened but there are procedures that we are doing right now,” she added. Sevilla said the DepEd recognizes that there are incoming SHS learners who are looking forward to avail of the subsidy. “We know that time is ticking and of the essence, because some schools will be opening classes soon but PEAC has given us an assurance that they can still process if we open ,” she explained. “We will open but the procedure is on-going right now, please wait,” she added. Internal arrangements For learners who are affected by the delayed opening of the SHS VP application, Sevilla said that DepEd is looking into internal arrangements with concerned SHS provider. Some non-DepEd SHS providers, like private and public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), “strictly require” Grade 11 applicants coming from private Junior High Schools (JHSs) to show the Qualified Voucher Recipient (QVR) certificates upon taking entrance examination or enrollment. To address this, Sevilla said that there are internal arrangements with the concerned SHS providers such as getting the list of learners who want to apply and process their claim even without the vouchers. “If they’re waiting for the voucher, it will go to the system but please get their names, process their application, and we will give the voucher as soon as available,” she told the SHS providers. The Qualified Voucher Applicants (QVA), formerly called Qualified Voucher Recipient (QVR), shall receive a subsidy on their tuition and other school fees, the amount of which will depend on the category of the QVA and the location of the school where the students will enroll in. Based on the DepEd Order No. 60, series of 2017 or the “Guidelines on the Application for the Senior High School Voucher Program for School Year 2018-2019” SHS voucher amounts are as follows (depending on the category of the QVA): Php 22,500; Php 18,000; and Php 11, 500 in the National Capital Region (NCR). In Non-NCR highly urbanized cities (HUCs), vouchers amount to Php 20,000; Php 16,000; and Php 10,000. In other locations, vouchers amount to Php 17,500; Php 14,000; and Php 8,750. Sevilla clarified the delay in the opening of SHS VP application is “not the fault of DepEd” because it had to wait for the approval of the GAA. “There are processes that we have to do otherwise, we will have to answer COA ,” she said. “We are just complying with what the law and the existing policies require us to do,” she ended.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones(DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN) Education Secretary Leonor Briones, in a recent press conference, said that DepEd “will not deprive a child of the opportunity to avail of free public education” regardless of his or her status. This, she explained, is because “it is a constitutional mandate not just to render educational services but quality education.” Learners and other stakeholders have been expressing concern on the delayed announcement regarding the SHS VP application. To appease these concerns, DepEd assured the public of its “commitment to continue with the program.” The SHS VP is a financial assistance program funded by the government – through the DepEd – which enables qualified Grade 10 completers to pursue their desired SHS education in private schools, state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local universities and colleges (LUCs) that offer SHS. DepEd Undersecretary for Finance-Budget and Performance Monitoring and Spokesperson Annalyn Sevilla explained that all Grade 10 completers in public schools operated by DepEd; those Grade 10 completers in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs); and all Grade 10 completers in private schools who are Education Service Contracting (ESC) grantees are “automatically eligible” under the SHS VP and they “do not need to apply for vouchers.” “These automatic voucher recipients shall be accommodated in the program upon enrollment in any SHS VP-participating school,” Sevilla explained. However, those grade 10 completers from private junior high schools who wish to avail of the financial subsidy still need to apply since they are not among the automatic voucher recipients. To date, the online application for SHS VP for SY 2019-2019 remains closed. Sevilla said that the online application for SHS VP has not yet given a “go signal” prior to the approval of the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA). “Ito yung hindi pa nabibigyan ng go signal dahil naghintay kami na ma-approve ang 2019 GAA,” Sevilla said. However, DepEd has been given a signal on May 1 – the effectivity date of the 2019 GAA – to implement the SHS VP as well as the “special provision” that DepEd can go into “joint management” with the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) which handles the voucher program. “Talks with PEAC are on-going because we need to determine how many can be absorbed into the online application,” Sevilla said. “It would be opened but there are procedures that we are doing right now,” she added. Sevilla said the DepEd recognizes that there are incoming SHS learners who are looking forward to avail of the subsidy. “We know that time is ticking and of the essence, because some schools will be opening classes soon but PEAC has given us an assurance that they can still process if we open ,” she explained. “We will open but the procedure is on-going right now, please wait,” she added. Internal arrangements For learners who are affected by the delayed opening of the SHS VP application, Sevilla said that DepEd is looking into internal arrangements with concerned SHS provider. Some non-DepEd SHS providers, like private and public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), “strictly require” Grade 11 applicants coming from private Junior High Schools (JHSs) to show the Qualified Voucher Recipient (QVR) certificates upon taking entrance examination or enrollment. To address this, Sevilla said that there are internal arrangements with the concerned SHS providers such as getting the list of learners who want to apply and process their claim even without the vouchers. “If they’re waiting for the voucher, it will go to the system but please get their names, process their application, and we will give the voucher as soon as available,” she told the SHS providers. The Qualified Voucher Applicants (QVA), formerly called Qualified Voucher Recipient (QVR), shall receive a subsidy on their tuition and other school fees, the amount of which will depend on the category of the QVA and the location of the school where the students will enroll in. Based on the DepEd Order No. 60, series of 2017 or the “Guidelines on the Application for the Senior High School Voucher Program for School Year 2018-2019” SHS voucher amounts are as follows (depending on the category of the QVA): Php 22,500; Php 18,000; and Php 11, 500 in the National Capital Region (NCR). In Non-NCR highly urbanized cities (HUCs), vouchers amount to Php 20,000; Php 16,000; and Php 10,000. In other locations, vouchers amount to Php 17,500; Php 14,000; and Php 8,750. Sevilla clarified the delay in the opening of SHS VP application is “not the fault of DepEd” because it had to wait for the approval of the GAA. “There are processes that we have to do otherwise, we will have to answer COA ,” she said. “We are just complying with what the law and the existing policies require us to do,” she ended.