UniFAST Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES): Eligibility and How to Apply
By Muntasir • Published Jun 27, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Study in Southeast Asia
The Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) is a cash allowance for Filipino undergraduates who need help beyond free tuition, covering costs like food, transportation, books and internet. You apply through your school's UniFAST focal person during its enrollment window, not directly to CHED.
💵 TES pays a cash allowance per academic year, with the exact amount and category set annually by the UniFAST Board.
📩 Apply through your school's TES/UniFAST focal person, not a national CHED office.
Priority goes to students from households in Listahanan/4Ps, those with no permanent family income, and other financially disadvantaged groups.
TES is open to students at SUCs, LUCs, private HEIs and TVIs alike, unlike RA 10931 free tuition, which only covers public schools.
It is a grant, not a loan, so you do not repay it.
What TES is for
The Tertiary Education Subsidy, or TES, is the second major benefit created under RA 10931, run by the UniFAST Board . Where free tuition removes the cost of instruction at public SUCs and LUCs, TES targets the costs tuition never covers, such as food, transportation, internet access, books and other school-related expenses. Unlike free tuition, TES is open to students at private higher education institutions and TVIs too, not only public schools.
Who gets priority
TES has more eligible applicants than funded slots most years, so UniFAST ranks applicants by financial need rather than granting it to every Filipino undergraduate who applies. Priority groups include students from households listed in the Listahanan (National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction) or enrolled in the 4Ps program, students with no permanent source of family income, students whose parents are persons with disability or solo parents, and other categories UniFAST defines each cycle in its guidelines.
You do not need to already be receiving free tuition under RA 10931 to qualify for TES. The two programs run on separate eligibility tracks, so a private HEI student with no tuition waiver can still apply for TES on financial need alone.
How the amount works
TES pays out as a cash allowance per academic year rather than a fixed universal amount. The exact figure depends on your TES category, which UniFAST sets based on factors like whether you study at a public or private school and whether you live away from your home province while studying. The UniFAST Board publishes the current academic year's amounts and category definitions through its official memorandum circulars, since these figures have changed across past cycles rather than staying fixed. Check the current amount for your category on your school's TES announcement or with your UniFAST focal person rather than relying on a figure from a previous year.
How to apply, step by step
Enroll first. TES applications open only after you have a valid Certificate of Registration for the current academic year.
Find your school's UniFAST or TES focal person, usually based in the registrar's office, the scholarship office, or the office of student affairs.
Submit the application form your school provides, along with your Certificate of Registration and any supporting documents proving your financial need category, such as a Listahanan certification or a certificate of indigency from your barangay.
Watch for your school's specific application window. Each SUC, LUC, private HEI and TVI runs its own schedule tied to its enrollment period, so there is no single nationwide deadline.
Wait for verification. Your application goes through validation by your school and then the UniFAST National Board Secretariat before approval and release.
What disqualifies an application
Students already receiving another CHED scholarship or grant-in-aid program are generally advised against applying for TES on top of it, since the programs are not meant to stack. Check your specific school's announcement for the current cycle's rule on this, since some overlap restrictions vary by program.
TES versus free tuition versus a student loan
RA 10931 created three related benefits, and mixing them up leads to missed opportunities. Free tuition automatically waives tuition and mandatory fees at public SUCs and LUCs, with no means test. TES is a means-tested cash grant for living costs, open to students at any eligible school type, public or private. The student loan program, the third benefit under the same law, is a separate borrowing option mainly aimed at graduate students and others who fall outside TES and free tuition eligibility. Apply for TES through your own school regardless of which of the other two benefits you already receive.