Can I get free tuition and a cash grant at the same time?

Yes. Free tuition under RA 10931 covers your tuition at a public school, and you can layer a cash grant like TES on top to help with living expenses. What you generally can't do is hold two grants of the same type at once — for example, you can't be both a TES and a Tulong Dunong beneficiary simultaneously.

Is there an income cap for government scholarships?

Not a single peso figure, despite what most articles claim. Section 7 of RA 10931 sets up a ranking rather than a cutoff: households in Listahanan 2.0 are ranked by estimated per capita household income first, then everyone else is ranked by documented household income. Free tuition itself has no means test at all. Ask your school's financial assistance office where the line fell in the most recent round, because it moves with the budget.

I'm going to a private school. What aid can I get?

Free tuition will not apply, so TES is the main target: UniFAST MC 01 s.2026 pays PHP 13,500 a semester, or PHP 27,000 an academic year, at a private HEI. After that, look at Tulong Dunong at PHP 7,500 a semester, and the UniFAST student loan. If your course is science or engineering, the DOST-SEI scholarship can be used at private schools too.

Is the Study Now, Pay Later loan still available?

No. CHED suspended the Study Now, Pay Later Plan in September 2022 after reporting that fewer than ten percent of borrowers had repaid. The government loan that exists now is the UniFAST Student Loan Program, which works differently: RA 10931 provides for repayment through a portion of the borrower's monthly SSS or GSIS contribution once they are employed. Do not plan around the old two-year post-graduation grace period.

Which program gives the most money?

For an individual student in a priority science or engineering course, DOST-SEI is usually the largest single package, because it pays a monthly stipend on top of tuition support and allowances. It is competitive and carries a return service obligation. For everyone else, a free-tuition slot at an SUC or LUC combined with a cash grant is normally the strongest realistic combination.

Do I have to pay back any of these?

Only the student loan is repayable in money. Free tuition, TES, Tulong Dunong, DOST-SEI and TESDA scholarships are grants rather than loans. DOST-SEI and some TESDA programmes instead carry a return service obligation, which is repayment in time rather than pesos: you work in the Philippines for a set period after graduating.

When are the application deadlines?

There's no single national deadline. Application windows vary by program, region, and school, and many open around the start of the academic year. Check directly with your school's scholarship office and your CHED Regional Office, or the official DOST-SEI and TESDA portals.

Can I use TESDA training if I already have a college scholarship?

Generally you can take TESDA training at different times in your life, but you usually can't hold a TESDA scholarship and a separate full government scholarship for the same period. Many students do TESDA first to earn, then pursue a degree later. Confirm the rules with TESDA.

Government Student Aid Philippines: Full List

TL;DR: The Philippine government funds several student aid programmes, run by different agencies. The largest by far is free tuition under RA 10931, which covers every Filipino student enrolled at 112 state universities and colleges and 78 local universities and colleges, with no means test. On top of that sit the Tertiary Education Subsidy, the Tulong Dunong grant-in-aid, the UniFAST student loan, DOST-SEI scholarships for priority science and technology courses, and TESDA tech-voc scholarships. Two things most articles get wrong: RA 10931 does not fix a peso amount for TES, and the old Study Now, Pay Later loan was suspended in September 2022. You can normally combine free tuition with a cash grant, but not two grants of the same kind.

Disclaimer: award amounts, income prioritisation and application windows for these programmes are set by the UniFAST Board, DOST-SEI and TESDA, and change with each year's budget. Figures below are cited to the issuance or agency they come from. Confirm current rules with your school's financial assistance office before you rely on them.

Introduction

If you're trying to figure out how to pay for college in the Philippines without drowning in debt, the good news is that the government already funds a surprising amount of aid. The problem is that it's scattered across different agencies — CHED, UniFAST, DOST-SEI, and TESDA — each with its own program, income cap, and application window. Most students never claim what they're entitled to simply because nobody told them it existed.

This guide pulls every major government student aid program into one place. We'll cover free tuition at state and local universities, the cash grants you can get on top of it (TES and Tulong Dunong), a low-interest student loan for when grants run out, the generous DOST-SEI science scholarships, and TESDA's free skills training. For each one you'll see who it's for, how much it pays, and where to read the full step-by-step guide.

Think of this as your map. Read the section that fits your situation, then follow the link to the deep-dive article for that specific program.

The Six Programs You Should Know

There are dozens of smaller scholarships out there, but six government programs cover the vast majority of Filipino students. Here's the master list.

1. Free Tuition at State and Local Universities (RA 10931)

Under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA 10931), Filipino students enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), and state-run technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) do not pay tuition or other school fees. There is no income cap; it is universal for students at these institutions. The coverage runs to 112 SUCs and 78 LUCs, and the exempted fees include admission, library, laboratory and computer fees, not tuition alone.

This is the single biggest form of aid in the country, and it applies automatically once you are enrolled at a qualifying public school. There is no separate application. You still cover your own living costs, books, and transportation, but the tuition itself is free. If you can get into a good SUC or LUC, this is usually the cheapest path to a degree.

Read more: CHED free tuition guide and our list of free-tuition universities in the Philippines.

2. CHED Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES)

Free tuition only helps if you're at a public school. The Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), administered through UniFAST, is the program designed to help students at private higher education institutions (HEIs) — and to give SUC/LUC students extra cash for living costs.

TES is needs-based, and this is where most published guidance goes wrong. Section 7 of RA 10931 does not name a peso amount — the UniFAST Board does, and its current issuance is Memorandum Circular No. 01, series of 2026, effective from the first semester of AY 2026-2027. Section 4 sets the subsidy at PHP 10,000 a semester, or PHP 20,000 an academic year, in SUCs and CHED-recognised LUCs, and PHP 13,500 a semester, or PHP 27,000 an academic year, in private HEIs. A grantee with a disability receives an extra PHP 10,000 a year under TES-3A; a grantee in a licensure course can claim a one-time reimbursement of up to PHP 8,000 under TES-3B; and grantees in the second priority tier receive PHP 10,000 a year.

Prioritisation is a ranking, not a cutoff. Households listed in the most updated Listahanan are ranked by household per capita income as determined by DSWD, with the 4Ps list used if DSWD certifies Listahanan discontinued. Dependents of solo parents and members of Indigenous Peoples communities form the second tier, ranked the same way. Students in municipalities with no SUC or LUC campus are treated separately, at an amount the Board sets. Because the ranking is applied against whatever the budget funds that year, the effective line moves.

3. CHED Tulong Dunong Program (TDP)

The Tulong Dunong Program is a smaller grant-in-aid for students who are not already holding TES or another full government scholarship. Section 3 of UniFAST Memorandum Circular No. 02, series of 2026, sets it at PHP 7,500 per semester, or PHP 15,000 per academic year, for continuing and new grantees alike, and notes the Board may increase it. Grants remain subject to the availability of funds, so a slot is never guaranteed.

Think of Tulong Dunong as the catch-all for students who missed out on the bigger grants but still need help. It will not cover everything, but it eases the load on tuition, books, or transportation. You cannot hold it and TES at the same time.

4. The Government Student Loan (Study Now, Pay Later Is Gone)

This is the item most guides still get wrong. The Study Now, Pay Later Plan, which lent up to ₱20,000 per semester at 4% simple interest with a two-year post-graduation grace period, was suspended in September 2022. CHED Chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III said fewer than 10% of borrowers had repaid. If you are reading an article that still tells you to apply for it, that article has not been updated in years.

What remains is the Student Loan Program under Section 8 of RA 10931, administered through the UniFAST Board. Its repayment mechanism is structurally different from the old scheme: the law provides for collection by incorporating a portion of the loan, or a percentage of it, into the borrower's monthly SSS or GSIS contribution once they are employed. The law also allows further loan cycles for graduate study, including medicine and law, provided earlier undergraduate loans have been repaid.

5. DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarship

If you're strong in math and science, the DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarship is one of the most generous packages in the country. It runs on two tracks: the Merit track for high-aptitude students, and the RA 7687 track for talented students from lower-income families.

Scholars in priority science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses receive a monthly stipend of ₱8,000, a book allowance of ₱5,000 per semester, tuition support of up to ₱40,000 a year at private HEIs, and a thesis grant of ₱10,000. You qualify by passing the DOST-SEI Scholarship Examination, and there is a return service obligation to work in the Philippines after graduation. Application and examination dates are announced by DOST-SEI each cycle through science-scholarships.ph.

6. TESDA Scholarships (Skills Training)

Not everyone needs a four-year degree. TESDA scholarships, including TWSP, PESFA, STEP and Tulong Trabaho, fund free technical-vocational training in fields like welding, automotive servicing, IT, cookery and caregiving. These typically cover the training cost, the training materials, and the national competency assessment. A daily training allowance is available under the Training Support Fund for qualifying programmes; the rate and which programmes attract it are set administratively by TESDA and have changed, so confirm both with the TESDA office or accredited training centre you are enrolling at.

TESDA is the fastest route to an employable, in-demand skill — courses can run from a couple of weeks to a few months. It's ideal if you want to earn quickly, work abroad, or build a foundation before pursuing a degree later.

Read more: TESDA scholarship guide and our TESDA courses guide.

Master Comparison Table

Here's everything side by side so you can quickly see which programs fit your situation.

Program	Who it's for	What it provides	How need is assessed	Agency
Free Tuition (RA 10931)	Students at 112 SUCs, 78 LUCs, state-run TVIs	Tuition and other school fees, including admission, library, laboratory and computer fees	No means test at all	CHED / UniFAST
Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES)	Students at private HEIs and TVIs, and SUC/LUC students needing living costs	PHP 20,000/year at a SUC or LUC, PHP 27,000 at a private HEI, plus PWD and licensure add-ons	Ranked by household per capita income, Listahanan first; no peso cap	CHED / UniFAST
Tulong Dunong (TDP)	Students not holding TES or another full grant	PHP 7,500 per semester, PHP 15,000 per academic year	Certificate of Indigency; no peso cap in the 2026 guidelines	CHED / UniFAST
Student Loan Program (RA 10931 s.8)	Students who have exhausted grants	Loan repaid via a portion of monthly SSS or GSIS contributions once employed	Set by the UniFAST Board	CHED / UniFAST
DOST-SEI Undergraduate	Priority S&T course students	₱8,000/month stipend, ₱5,000/semester books, up to ₱40,000/year private tuition, ₱10,000 thesis grant	Merit track by examination; RA 7687 track income-based	DOST-SEI
TESDA Scholarships	Tech-voc and skills trainees	Training cost, materials and competency assessment, plus a daily allowance on qualifying programmes	Programme-dependent	TESDA

The Study Now, Pay Later Plan is deliberately absent from this table. It was suspended in 2022 and is not something you can apply for.

How to Choose the Right Program

With six options, the question isn't "which is best" — it's "which fits you." Work through these questions.

Start with where you'll study

Going to a public university (SUC or LUC)? Free tuition is automatic. Then apply for TES or Tulong Dunong on top of it for living costs.
Going to a private school? Free tuition doesn't apply, so TES becomes your most important target. If you miss it, look at Tulong Dunong and the student loan.

Then look at your course

STEM-leaning (engineering, sciences, IT, math)? Apply for the DOST-SEI scholarship first — it's the most generous package and pays a real monthly stipend.
Want a skill and a job fast? Go straight to TESDA. You can train for free and start earning in months.

Finally, check your household income

There is no peso cutoff, so ignore the ₱400,000 figure that circulates in most articles about this. RA 10931 ranks applicants rather than screening them against a threshold, and the 2026 revised TES and Tulong Dunong guidelines carry no income ceiling either: Listahanan households by per capita income first, then solo-parent dependents and Indigenous Peoples on the same ranking. Practically, that means a household that missed out one year can still qualify the next if the funded quota is larger, and it means the DOST-SEI Merit track, which is decided by examination rather than income, is worth attempting regardless of where your family sits.

Apply early and apply to several

Slots are limited and deadlines vary by region and school. Don't pin everything on one program. Prepare your documents once — income certificate, grades, valid IDs, certificate of enrollment — and apply to every program you're eligible for. Worst case, you get to choose; best case, you stack a free-tuition slot with a cash grant.

For more strategy, see our guides on how to get a scholarship in the Philippines and the full list of scholarships for college students.

What Changed Recently, and What to Distrust

Two corrections are worth carrying with you when you read anything else on this topic.

First, the Study Now, Pay Later Plan has been suspended since September 2022, yet it still appears as a live option in a large share of Philippine scholarship articles, complete with its old 4% rate and two-year grace period. Any page that still offers it as a current application is not maintained.

Second, the ₱400,000 income cap is not in the law, and is no longer in the guidelines either. RA 10931 sets up a ranking against Listahanan, not a threshold, and the 2026 revised TES and Tulong Dunong circulars set no ceiling. Repeating the cap as fact causes real harm, because students slightly above it assume they are ineligible and never apply.

The practical lesson is the same in both cases: government aid rules move, and the agency page or your school's financial assistance office is the only thing worth trusting on amounts and dates.

Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare tuition, programs and admission requirements across hundreds of Philippine schools on SchoolFinderPH.

Government Student Financial Aid in the Philippines (Complete List)