By Jovee Marie dela Cruz
The Senate and the House of Representatives have ratified a proposed measure that is expected to improve the handing out of college scholarships, grants-in-aid, and low-cost educational loans to qualified students.
Liberal Party Rep. Roman Romulo of Pasig City, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education, said the “bill should be ready for President Aquino’s signature in a matter of days.”
According to Romulo, the Unified Financial Assistance System for Higher and Technical Education, or UniFAST, will enable a greater number of qualified college students from disadvantaged families to access public-funded scholarships and other forms of financial support.
UniFAST speeds up the delivery of state-funded scholarships and all forms of student financial assistance via the proper targeting of beneficiaries and the adoption of uniform standards for selection and retention.
Under UniFAST, a board will synchronize all financial aid programs based on a unified and definite set of guidelines and targets.
The UniFAST board shall consist of the heads of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); one representative each from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); and four representatives from associations of private higher educational institutions.
In the past, Romulo said many college students who desperately needed help had been left out of government’s “patchy” financial aid programs, while others who could do without the assistance were getting it.
“UniFAST will address all these issues, which have been attributed to the fragmentation of aid programs, the flawed targeting of recipients, and the insufficient allocation of funds per student,” the lawmaker said.
Several government-sponsored student financial aid plans have been developed over the years, with various agencies administering them based on all sorts of guidelines and targets, thus the fragmentation, according to Romulo.
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