CHED Scholarship: TES Pays ₱20,000 to ₱27,000
Education · benefits
Quick answer
The Tertiary Education Subsidy is the main CHED scholarship. Prioritised grantees receive ₱10,000 a semester or ₱20,000 an academic year at state and local universities, and ₱13,500 a semester or ₱27,000 a year at private higher education institutions. PWD grantees get more.
Every figure on this page is from UniFAST, Commission on Higher Education's own published documents.
Last verified 1 source, listed below
2026 Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES)1. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with any agency.
The Tertiary Education Subsidy is the CHED scholarship most students mean when they search for one. It is administered by UniFAST under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, and the 2026 Revised Guidelines publish the amounts.
What it pays
| Grantee | Per semester | Per academic year |
|---|---|---|
| Prioritised, enrolled in SUCs and LUCs | ₱10,000.00 | ₱20,000.00 |
| Prioritised, enrolled in private HEIs | ₱13,500.00 | ₱27,000.00 |
| PWD grantees, under TES-3A, additional | ₱5,000.00 | ₱10,000.00 |
| Solo parent dependents and Indigenous Peoples, under Section 3(2.1) and 3(2.2) | ₱5,000.00 | ₱10,000.00 |
Two one-off amounts sit on top:
| One-time grant | Amount |
|---|---|
| TES-3B, for graduates in courses requiring licensure examinations | Maximum one-time reimbursement of ₱8,000.00 |
| SARDO, for students at risk of dropping out | Additional one-time subsidy of ₱10,000.00, subject to HEI evaluation |
A prioritised PWD student at a private HEI therefore draws ₱27,000.00 plus ₱10,000.00, or ₱37,000.00 across an academic year. That addition is arithmetic on the published figures, not a total UniFAST prints.
The guidelines also state that the amount of benefits shall not be reduced and shall be continuously given for the duration of the undergraduate programme, and may be increased, subject to availability of funds and to the grantee staying compliant with eligibility and retention requirements.
Who is prioritised
Allocation of new slots runs in a set order, subject to availability of funds.
- Students in SUCs, LUCs and private HEIs, including private HEIs in cities or municipalities with no SUC or LUC, who are part of the most updated Listahanan. Where Listahanan is discontinued as certified by DSWD, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program list applies, including dependents of solo parents, members of Indigenous Peoples communities and persons with disabilities, ranked by household per capita income.
- Under the Special Provision of the 2026 General Appropriations Act, all
other enrolled students, ranked by household per capita income, with:
- dependents of solo parents, as defined in Section 3(b) of RA 11861, the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, meaning those living with and dependent on the solo parent, unmarried and unemployed and 22 years old or below, or over 22 but unable to care for themselves because of a physical or mental disability; and
- members of Indigenous Cultural Communities, as defined in Section 3(h) of RA 8371, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997, who must be on the list of households officially recognised by the NCIP.
The solo parent ID guide covers the status that qualifies a dependant under the first of those.
The 20-kilometre rule
TES-PNSL covers students in Private HEIs in cities or municipalities with No SUC or LUC. The distance test decides it.
| Situation | Treated as TES-PNSL |
|---|---|
| Private HEI in a city or municipality with no SUC or LUC, nearest one at least 20 kilometres away | Yes |
| Nearest SUC or LUC within 20 kilometres, but the course is not offered there | Yes |
| Within 20 kilometres, but the applicant was not admitted on admission or eligibility grounds | Yes |
| Within 20 kilometres, but not admitted due to absorptive capacity or slot limitations | Yes |
In the last three cases the applicant must submit the official SUC or LUC notification of the result of their application, or a certification from that institution attesting to the condition.
How long it lasts
The eligibility period begins in the academic year the TES award number is issued, regardless of year level. It equals the standard duration of the degree programme as prescribed in the curriculum, plus an additional 1-year grace period. Academic years already availed of are deducted from the remaining duration.
| Situation | Effect on eligibility |
|---|---|
| Leave of absence | The LOA period, during which no grant is disbursed, is excluded, and eligibility is temporarily suspended |
| Transfer to a programme of equal duration | Eligibility stays aligned with the original programme’s required years, plus the 1-year grace period |
| Transfer to a longer programme | Still determined by the original programme’s required years plus the 1-year grace, regardless of the new programme’s length |
| Transfer to a shorter programme | Adjusted to the new programme’s required years plus the 1-year grace |
The rule on transferring to a longer programme is the one that catches people: switching to a five-year course does not buy more years of subsidy.
Who cannot get it
| New applicants | |
|---|---|
| Foreign citizens, and non-students | |
| Students in HEIs or programmes not in the CHED Registry of Programs and Institutions | |
| Students already in a second undergraduate post-secondary programme | |
| Beneficiaries of the Tulong Dunong Program, CHED Scholarship Programs or national government-funded StuFAPs, except recipients of a one-time grant such as AICS or SMART | |
| Students who submitted spurious documents |
Continuing grantees lose it for failing to enrol for one academic term with no LOA, failing to enrol for at least two academic terms within an academic year, suspension for one term or more, expulsion, failing the HEI’s retention requirements, failing to complete the degree a year after the prescribed period, or spurious documents.
The AICS guide covers the DSWD one-time assistance that does not disqualify you.
Applying
Applications go through your HEI, not directly to CHED. The UniFAST Secretariat issues a memorandum calling for applications before the start of the first semester of each academic year, and the schedule matches the HEI’s enrolment period. Applications are uploaded through the HEI Portal, and the CHED Regional Office disseminates the memorandum to all HEIs under it.
The Secretariat then runs eligibility cross-matching for duplication across nationwide applications and within TES database records, followed by name-matching against the prioritisation criteria.
Applying is not qualifying. The guidelines say plainly that applications shall in no way be construed as automatic eligibility and qualification, being subject to validation and availability of funds.
What this page does not cover
UniFAST does not publish, in these guidelines, the number of slots for a given year, the household per capita income cut-off, the free higher education provision that separately removes tuition at SUCs, the Tulong Dunong Program amounts, or the Student Loan Program. Those sit in separate issuances. This page also does not carry the application form itself, which comes from your HEI.
Related
The Form 137 guide covers the school record that follows a learner into tertiary education, the solo parent ID guide covers a status that carries priority here, and the AICS guide covers the DSWD grant that is expressly compatible with TES.
The 4Ps guide covers the programme whose beneficiary list is used to prioritise TES slots.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does the TES pay?
- For prioritised grantees, ₱10,000.00 per semester or ₱20,000.00 per academic year at state and local universities and colleges, and ₱13,500.00 per semester or ₱27,000.00 per academic year at private higher education institutions.
- Is there more for students with disabilities?
- Yes. Under TES-3A, grantees who are persons with disabilities receive an additional ₱5,000.00 per semester or ₱10,000.00 per academic year, on top of the main subsidy, for expenses related to the disability including special services, personal assistance, equipment and supplies.
- Does it cover the licensure exam?
- Under TES-3B, graduates in courses requiring licensure examinations receive a maximum one-time reimbursement of ₱8,000.00 to cover the full or partial cost of taking the exam.
- Who gets priority?
- First, students in the most updated Listahanan, or where that is discontinued the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program list certified by DSWD, including dependents of solo parents, members of Indigenous Peoples communities and persons with disabilities, ranked by household per capita income.
- What if I am not in those lists?
- Under the Special Provision of the 2026 General Appropriations Act, all other enrolled students are ranked by household per capita income, with dependents of solo parents and members of Indigenous Cultural Communities given the stated allowance of ₱5,000.00 per semester or ₱10,000.00 per academic year.
- How long does the subsidy last?
- The eligibility period begins in the academic year the TES award number is issued, regardless of year level, and equals the standard duration of the degree programme with an additional 1-year grace period. Academic years already availed of are deducted.
- Can I lose it?
- Yes. Continuing grantees are disqualified for failing to enrol for one academic term with no leave of absence, failing to enrol for at least two academic terms within an academic year, suspension for one term or more, expulsion, failing the HEI's retention requirements, failing to complete the degree a year after the prescribed period, or submitting spurious documents.
- Can I hold another scholarship at the same time?
- No. Students already benefiting from the Tulong Dunong Program, CHED Scholarship Programs or national government-funded StuFAPs are ineligible, except recipients of a one-time grant or subsidy such as DSWD's AICS or CHED's SMART.