TL;DR: These three programs are not competitors — they're designed for different students. Free tuition (RA 10931) waives tuition for everyone at state and local universities, with no income cap. TES is a needs-based cash grant paying ₱20,000 an academic year at a SUC or LUC and ₱27,000 at a private HEI, under UniFAST Memorandum Circular No. 01, s. 2026. Tulong Dunong is a smaller grant, ₱7,500 a semester or ₱15,000 a year, under MC 02 s. 2026, for students who aren't on TES. None of the three has a peso income cap — TES ranks applicants by household per capita income. You can combine free tuition with one cash grant, but you cannot hold TES and Tulong Dunong at the same time.
Introduction
If you've been reading about government student aid, you've probably hit the same wall everyone does: free tuition, TES, and Tulong Dunong sound similar, and nobody explains clearly how they differ. Students assume they have to pick one. Parents worry they'll accidentally disqualify themselves. The result is that thousands of eligible students never apply.
Here's the truth: these three aren't rivals. They were built to cover different gaps. Free tuition handles your tuition bill if you're at a public school. TES is the cash grant for students at private schools — and for living costs. Tulong Dunong is the smaller safety net for students who didn't land a bigger grant.
This guide breaks down exactly who qualifies for each, how much you get, and — the part that confuses everyone — whether you can stack them. By the end, you'll know precisely which program (or combination) fits your situation, whether you're heading to a state university or a private one.
The Core Difference in One Paragraph
Free tuition is a fee waiver at public schools — it's not cash, it just means you don't pay tuition. TES and Tulong Dunong are cash grants that put money toward your education costs. The key split between the two grants: TES is the bigger, primarily private-school-focused grant, while Tulong Dunong is the smaller catch-all for needy students who didn't get TES. Now let's go deeper on each.
Free Tuition (RA 10931): The Universal Waiver
Under RA 10931, every Filipino student enrolled in a state university or college (SUC), local university or college (LUC), or state-run TVI is exempt from tuition and most miscellaneous school fees. There's no income requirement — rich or poor, if you're enrolled at a qualifying public school, your tuition is covered.
What it doesn't cover: your living costs, books, transportation, and any school that isn't a qualifying public institution. So if you're at a private university, free tuition simply doesn't apply to you.
Full guide: CHED free tuition guide.
CHED TES: The Needs-Based Cash Grant
The Tertiary Education Subsidy is a cash grant with no peso income cut-off. Applicants are ranked by household per capita income, with households in the DSWD's Listahanan taking the top tier and the poorest ranked highest within it. Section 4 of UniFAST Memorandum Circular No. 01, series of 2026, sets the amounts:
- ₱10,000 a semester, ₱20,000 an academic year at a SUC or CHED-recognised LUC
- ₱13,500 a semester, ₱27,000 an academic year at a private HEI
- ₱5,000 a semester, ₱10,000 a year for dependents of solo parents and members of Indigenous Peoples communities, the second priority tier
- An extra ₱10,000 a year for a grantee with a disability, under TES-3A
- A one-time reimbursement of up to ₱8,000 for the licensure exam, under TES-3B
SUC and LUC students can receive TES too, but since their tuition is already free, the money goes toward living and incidental expenses. TES is the most valuable of the three grants, so it should be your first target.
Full guide: CHED TES guide.
Tulong Dunong: The Smaller Safety Net
The Tulong Dunong Program provides ₱7,500 per regular semester, or ₱15,000 an academic year, under Section 3 of UniFAST Memorandum Circular No. 02, series of 2026. It's aimed at students in financial need who are not TES beneficiaries. Need is documented with a Certificate of Indigency from your barangay rather than tested against an income threshold: the ₱400,000 ceiling that circulates in most write-ups is not in the 2026 guidelines. It's smaller than TES, but it's a real help and often easier to access when TES slots run out.
The critical rule: you can't be on TES and Tulong Dunong at the same time. Tulong Dunong fills the gap for students who missed the bigger grant.
Full guide: CHED Tulong Dunong guide.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Free Tuition (RA 10931) | CHED TES | Tulong Dunong |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Tuition + misc fee waiver | Cash grant | Cash grant |
| Main target | All public-school students | Private HEI students (and SUC/LUC for living costs) | Needy students not on TES |
| Amount | Free tuition (value varies) | ₱20,000/year (SUC, LUC) or ₱27,000/year (private HEI) | ₱7,500/semester, ₱15,000/year |
| Income cap | None (universal) | None; ranked by household per capita income | None in the 2026 guidelines |
| Where it applies | SUC, LUC, state TVI | Private HEIs, SUCs, LUCs | CHED-recognized HEIs |
| Repayable? | No | No | No |
| Governing issuance | RA 10931 Sec. 4 | UniFAST MC 01, s. 2026 | UniFAST MC 02, s. 2026 |
| Agency | CHED / UniFAST | CHED / UniFAST | CHED / UniFAST |
Both circulars take effect from the first semester of AY 2026-2027 and were signed on 3 June 2026. UniFAST reviews the amounts against each year's appropriation, so check the current circular before you plan a budget around them.
Can You Stack Them?
This is the question everyone asks, so let's be precise.
- Free tuition + TES? Yes. This is a common and powerful combination. Your tuition is waived at a public school, and TES gives you cash for living costs. This is arguably the best deal available to a needs-eligible SUC/LUC student.
- Free tuition + Tulong Dunong? Yes, similar logic. If you didn't get TES, Tulong Dunong can sit on top of free tuition.
- TES + Tulong Dunong? No. You cannot hold both at once — they're considered the same category of grant, and the system prevents double-dipping.
- TES at a private school? Yes — this is exactly who TES is built for, since those students get no free tuition.
The simple rule: you can pair a fee waiver (free tuition) with one cash grant, but you can't hold two cash grants of this type simultaneously.
Which One Is For You? A Simple Decision Guide
Work through these scenarios to find your fit.
Scenario 1: You're going to a state or local university (SUC/LUC)
Your tuition is already free — no application needed for that. Your move: apply for TES for living expenses. If you don't get a TES slot, apply for Tulong Dunong instead. Either way, you walk in with free tuition plus a cash cushion.
Scenario 2: You're going to a private school on a low household income
Free tuition won't help you, so TES is your priority — at ₱27,000 an academic year it's the only one of the three that meaningfully offsets private tuition. If TES slots are gone, apply for Tulong Dunong as a backup. The UniFAST Student Loan Program can cover a remaining gap.
Scenario 3: You're going to a private school on a middle or higher household income
You are not disqualified. TES has no income cut-off, so file the application and let the ranking decide — you may still land a slot in a year when funding reaches further down the list. Plan a fallback in parallel, though: the UniFAST Student Loan Program, merit scholarships, or, if your course is science or tech, the Merit track of the DOST-SEI scholarship. You might also compare a free-tuition public university or a more affordable college.
Scenario 4: You're not sure you'll qualify for anything
Apply anyway, to all of them. There is no income wall to fail, slots open and close, and the worst outcome is a "no." Prepare your documents once and submit broadly. See how to get a scholarship in the Philippines for the full strategy.
Common Confusions Cleared Up
"TES is only for private students." Not exactly. TES is primarily for private students because they have no free tuition, but SUC/LUC students can also receive it — it just goes toward living costs since their tuition is already covered.
"Free tuition gives me cash." No. Free tuition is a waiver, not a payout. You won't receive money; you simply won't be billed for tuition.
"I can collect TES and Tulong Dunong together for more money." No. The system blocks holding both. Pick the larger one you qualify for (usually TES).
"If I have free tuition, I'm not allowed any other aid." False. Free tuition pairs fine with one cash grant. Don't leave money on the table.
Worked Examples: Three Real Situations
Sometimes the rules click only when you see them applied. Here are three common student profiles and the best aid path for each.
Maria, incoming freshman at a state university, household in Listahanan, four dependents. Her tuition is free automatically under RA 10931. Her best move is to apply for TES for living expenses — and because her household is in Listahanan, she sits in the top priority tier and is ranked by per capita income within it, which a large household helps rather than hurts. TES pays her ₱20,000 for the academic year. If she doesn't land a slot, she falls back to Tulong Dunong at ₱15,000.
Jun, enrolled at a private university taking Accountancy, household income ₱380,000/year. Free tuition doesn't apply to him. His priority is TES, which pays ₱27,000 an academic year at a private HEI, and because he is taking a board-exam course he can claim the one-time TES-3B reimbursement of up to ₱8,000 when he sits the CPA licensure exam. If TES slots run out, he applies for Tulong Dunong and considers the UniFAST Student Loan Program for the remainder. He cannot combine TES and Tulong Dunong, so he picks the bigger one.
Cris, private school, BS Civil Engineering, household income ₱600,000/year. There is no cut-off that excludes him, but he will rank low, so he should file for TES and plan as though it may not come through. Because his course is engineering, he should apply for the DOST-SEI Merit track, which isn't income-capped, plus the UniFAST Student Loan Program as a backup. He could also save a lot by transferring to a state engineering school where tuition is free.
How to Apply Without Wasting Time
The applications share most of the same requirements, so prepare your documents once and reuse them. You'll typically need an income certificate or ITR (or a Certificate of Indigency from your barangay), your grades and a certificate of good moral character, a certificate of enrollment, your PSA birth certificate, and valid IDs. If your family is a 4Ps beneficiary, include that record — it strengthens your priority ranking.
Submit through your school's scholarship office and your CHED Regional Office, since application windows and slot availability vary by region. Don't wait for a single national deadline — there isn't one. Apply as early as the window opens, because needs-based slots fill quickly and the earliest complete applications tend to get ranked first.
Sources
- CHED-UniFAST — Memorandum Circular No. 01, s. 2026, 2026 Revised TES Guidelines (official PDF) — Sec. 3 prioritisation, Sec. 4 amounts
- CHED-UniFAST — Memorandum Circular No. 02, s. 2026, 2026 Revised TDP Guidelines (official PDF) — Sec. 2 qualification requirements, Sec. 3 grant amount
- Republic Act No. 10931, Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act — full text — Sec. 4 free tuition, Sec. 7 TES ranking with no income cap
- CHED-UniFAST — TES and Tulong Dunong programme page
