Section 7 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 7. TES for Filipino Students.
Section 4
SEC. 4. Section 7 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 7. TES for Filipino Students. - To support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof, a TES is hereby established for poor Filipino students who enroll in the first undergraduate post-secondary tertiary education program of their choice, except those enrolled in a technical-vocational education and training course, leading toward a ladderized program, in SUCs, LUCs, private HEIs and TVIs. The TES shall be implemented by the CHED and the TESDA pursuant to the politices and guidelines issued by the UniFAST Board. The amount necessary to fund the TES shall be included in the respective budgets of the CHED and the TESDA: Provided, That prioritization shall be given to: (a) enrolled students in any CHEd-recognized HEI or TESDA-registered TVI who are part of households included in the most updated list of the 4Ps, ranked according to estimated household per capita income, as certified by the DSWD pursuant to Republic Act No. 11315 or the 'Community-Based Monitoring System Act'; and (b) the remaining TES slots shall be awarded to other poor students based on the ranking of their household per capita income, using the most recent available data from the official poverty assessment system adopted by the National Government, or other verifiable documentary proof of income as may be determined by the UniFAST Board. The TES may, among others, and to support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion thereof, cover the following: (a) Tuition and other school fees (TOSF) in private HEIs, and private or LGU-generated TVIs, which shall be guided by the national average annual government expenditure per student in SUCs, LUCs, and state-run TVIs, as computed by the UniFAST Board, taking into account variations in TOSF levels and disaggregated by program cluster where appropriate; (b) Allowances for books, school supplies, transportation to and from school, and miscellaneous personal expenses, including a reasonable allowance for the rental or purchase of a desktop or portable computer, when applicable; (c) An allowance for room and board costs to be incurred by the student, when applicable; (d) For a student with a disability, an allowance for expenses related to the student's disability, including special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred; (e) For a student enrolled in internship and RLE courses, as required by the HEI curriculum in any CHED-recognized public or private school, an internship and RLE subsidy as an additional allowance, subject to the guidelines set by the UniFAST Board; (f) For learners from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, additional allowances to address documented barriers specific to their circumstances; and (g) For a student in a program requiring professional license of certification, then one (1)-time cost of obtaining the first professional credentials or qualifications, which may include the following: application fees, notarial fees, review classes fees, insurance premium fees, and documentation fees: Provided, That the amount of subsidy shall be based on the guidelines set forth by the UniFAST Board and on the annual budgetary appropriation for this purpose. Qualification beneficiaries of the TES shall continue to receive the grant for the remaining prescribed duration of the program: Provided, That subject to compliance with the eligibility requirements set forth in this Act, an extension of up to one (1) additional year may be granted only upon a showing of justifiable and documented circumstances resulting in delay in program completion, including, but not limited to, economic challenges, health-related conditions, force majeurre, or other valid causes as may be determined by the UniFAST Board: Provided, further, That the grant of such extension shall be subject to the evaluation and approval by the UniFAST Board in accordance with the guidelines to be issued for this purpose."