Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV on Friday, October 17 assured the 3.5 million beneficiaries of the Libreng Kolehiyo Law that he will secure funding for them in the 2026 national budget. 

Aquino also expressed his commitment to expanding the number of beneficiaries of Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which he championed as the principal sponsor during his first term as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education.

“We will push for more scholarships and ito pong 3.5 million students na may suporta sa gobyerno, we will do our best na itaas pa ito,” Aquino said, during the  Senate Committee on Finance’s deliberation on the proposed 2026 budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Currently, there are around 2.2 million students enrolled in SUCs and LUCs that benefit from the law.

Also under the same law, around 1.3 million students in private universities and colleges receive support from the national government through the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and the Tulong Dunong Program (TDP).

During the hearing, Aquino called on CHED to release a clear schedule of scholarships and target numbers of beneficiaries so the Senate can monitor and allocate the amount needed for the law’s effective implementation in the coming years.

“What is best for TES, is we look at how many beneficiaries we wish to reach so we can be guided not only on budget allocation but also the number of beneficiaries,” Aquino pointed out.

“We want to see the amount for the succeeding years because it increases every year. We want to see kung sustainable ito moving forward,” he added.

He also urged CHED to simplify the guidelines for TES and TDP to accommodate more underprivileged students enrolled in private and public educational institutions.

“Those on poverty or slightly above the poverty line, still need help. I’ve said this from the first time RA 10931 was crafted: There are many in need of this. That is still my position,” he said.