Four hundred  twenty-nine Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) grantees and 870 Tulong Dunong Program - Tertiary Education Subsidy (TDP-TES) scholars have already received their stipend for the School Year 2023-2024.

A total of  14-million allocated fund was disbursed to the said number of scholars.

The release of stipends occurred over three days beginning on November 18. Scholars under TES 3B Batch 2022, New TDP 5.1, Ongoing TES, New TES 12.1, TES 3B Batch 2023, and New TDP 4.1 were scheduled in the morning, while the release of ongoing TDP 5.1 stipends was held in the afternoon.

On November 19, stipends for the 860 ongoing TDP grantees were released; while on November 20, stipends for New TES Listahanan 12 grantees were distributed.

According to BiPSU’s UniFAST office, as of today, 45 percent of the confirmed grantees have not received their stipend.

Ms. Shiela Day Salentes, BiPSU-UniFAST focal person, explained that the funds for the remaining 1,104 TDP-TES and TES scholars are yet to be disbursed, which will depend on CHED's download process.

Meanwhile, in an interview, University President Dr. Victor C. Cañezo conveyed his sincere appreciation to CHED for their continued financial backing of the grants and encouraged students to allocate the money wisely, ensuring that it directly benefits their academic progress and personal development.

"I am deeply grateful to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for their support and for consistently providing funding for the scholarship grants," he said.  “Additionally, I strongly urge our students to be mindful of how they utilise these funds—ensuring that every cent is spent purposefully and in ways that contribute to their educational growth and overall development.”

TDP-TES and TES programs, initiated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), are  financial support initiatives designed to help deserving Filipino students alleviate the costs of pursuing a college degree. TDP grantees receive ₱7,500 per semester, while TES old and new grantees receive ₱20,000 and ₱10,000, respectively.

In an interview, Trixie Nicole Serrano, a second-year student, and a TES grantee, expressed her gratitude for the scholarship, noting that it came at the perfect time with finals and numerous projects approaching.

"I’m so grateful for this grant, as I plan to use the money to help cover the costs associated with my studies,” she said. “It eases the pressure, and I’m truly thankful for this support."

Furthermore, BiPSU-UniFAST announced 117 additional grantees under the Tulong-Dunong Program - Tertiary Education Subsidy (TDP-TES) Batch 6.1 and encouraged them to prepare the required documents ahead of the scheduled release in December.

(This article aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education.)