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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider CHED warns public vs subsidy eligibility scams

CHED warns public vs subsidy eligibility scams

Published Jun 30, 2021 01:17 pm

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Wednesday, June 30, warned the general public against individuals who are posing as its representatives in order to solicit money in exchange for eligibility under its subsidy program.

Commission on Higher Education Chairman Popoy De Vera (Photo from CHED)

CHED said that higher education institutions (HEIs), students and their parents, “should be wary” of individuals and/or groups representing themselves as officials and personnel of the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST).

UniFAST is an attached agency of CHED and the primary implementer of Free Higher Education (FHE) and the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program under Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law.

“These posers trying to coax other schools to be accredited in the TES program are not even HEIs but members of one of the secondary school group branches, so they have no business with CHED,” CHED and UniFAST Board Chairman Popoy De Vera.

CHED said that it has recently received a formal complaint from a certain group of schools against individuals offering a deal with other institutions to facilitate their “UniFAST accreditation” in order to receive benefits from TES.

“Let us be wary and do a fact-check especially when there’s payment involved and a promise of guaranteed TES slots to its students,” De Vera added.

CHED explained that the said individuals “allegedly held a ceremonial awarding of UniFAST certificates of accreditation to other member schools using an unofficial UniFAST letterhead and logo without the consent or knowledge of the UniFAST Secretariat.”

Meanwhile, UniFAST OIC-Executive Director Ryan Estevez said that they are already investigating the matter. They also corresponded with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in confirming the identities mentioned in the complaint and “confirming that they are not in any way affiliated with CHED or UniFAST.”

Beware of scams

Given this, CHED issued a scam alert especially as the new Academic Year 2021-2022 approaches and “most students and their families are eager to seek applications for scholarships or any financial aid available just to support their college education” during this time of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

De Vera stressed that all transactions are done through the HEIs and CHED offices. There are no groups or organizations authorized by CHED to recruit or process papers of students.

“We ask our HEIs to help us disseminate the correct information about the TES program so that our students are always guided on the proper processes for TES inclusion,” added De Vera.

The TES is a grant-in aid program funded by the national government that follows a prioritization scheme in its selection of qualified TES grantees from public universities and colleges, and private HEIs with an existing memorandum of agreement with CHED and UniFAST to implement the TES program.

Meanwhile, CHED said that a call for TES application in AY 2021-2022 “will soon be announced on” the official websites and verified social media accounts of CHED and UniFAST.

Related Tags

Popoy De Vera scam UNIFAST TES education CHED Covid19
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