TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines - The Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) of Samar Colleges, Inc. (SCI), through its Scholarship Programs, participated in the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Regional Assessment 2026 held at Aviore Hotel, Tacloban City. Representing the institution were Ms. Nelsie Jane Sito, Scholarship Focal Person, and Mr. John Bryan Morillo, Assistant Focal Person.

The two-day activity aimed to present and assess CHED-UniFAST’s accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, establish targets and priorities for FY 2027, and provide an orientation on the revised guidelines for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and Tulong Dunong Program (TDP). It also served as a venue for the reconciliation and validation of Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) accounts of TES and TDP grantees to ensure the accuracy of beneficiary records and facilitate the proper and timely disbursement of financial assistance.

On the first day, November 9, the morning session covered the presentation of UniFAST’s FY 2026 accomplishments and FY 2027 targets, the orientation on the revised TES guidelines under Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026, and the revised TDP guidelines under Memorandum Circular No. 2, Series of 2026. Updates and concerns regarding UniFAST funds and LBP’s accounts were also discussed.

Among the key provisions discussed were the eligibility, retention, and validation requirements for new and continuing beneficiaries. The revised TES guidelines provided annual financial assistance of ₱20,000 for students enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), and ₱27,000 for those enrolled in Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs), subject to prioritization and fund availability. Additional assistance was also provided for qualified students with disabilities and eligible licensure examination takers.

Meanwhile, the revised TDP guidelines provided qualified grantees with financial assistance amounting to ₱7,500 per semester or ₱15,000 per academic year. The guidelines also emphasized compliance with institutional admission and retention policies, continuous enrollment, and the submission of required documents for beneficiary validation. Continuing grantees, except those who transferred to another eligible institution, were not required to reapply but remained subject to validation and verification.

The afternoon session continued with the reconciliation and validation of LBP accounts of TES and TDP grantees, which carried over to the second day, November 10. The process aimed to verify the accuracy of beneficiaries' banking information and address account-related concerns to support the timely and proper release of their respective financial assistance.  

Through this activity, the OSAS Scholarship Programs gained valuable insights and updated knowledge on the implementation of TES and TDP, particularly on the revised guidelines, beneficiary validation, and fund disbursement procedures. The information and updates acquired during the assessment strengthened the office's capacity to manage scholarship-related processes, address grantees' concerns, ensure compliance with UniFAST requirements, and facilitate the accurate and timely delivery of financial assistance. These learnings further equipped OSAS to provide more efficient, responsive, and effective scholarship services to the students at Samar Colleges, Inc.