Bill for scholarship program board awaits Aquino’s signature

A BILL for a faster student financial assistance program now awaits President Benigno Aquino III’s signature.

This after Congress ratified the Unified Financial Assistance System for Higher and Technical Education (UniFAST) bill, which seeks to create a board that would synchronize financial aid programs based on a definite set of guidelines and targets.

“The bill should be ready for President Aquino’s signature in a matter of days,” said Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, one of the authors and chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education.

Under the bill, the UniFAST board consists of the heads of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); one representative each from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA); and four representatives from associations of private higher educational institutions.

Romulo said the UniFAST bill would allow qualified and disadvantaged students to have access to scholarships and other forms of financial support.

“The unified system will ensure that student financial aid programs are adequately funded at all times, and effectively carried out to benefit the greatest number of students who truly need the most help,” Romulo said.

The UniFAST bill aims to speed up the delivery of government scholarships and other student financial assistance by targeting qualified beneficiaries and adopting uniform standards for selection and retention.

Romulo is an author of the Iskolar ng Bayan law, which grants the top 10 graduates of all public high schools with scholarships in state universities and colleges.