The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has given the thumb of approval to Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto’s appeal that teachers displaced by the K to 12 basic education program be given more time to apply for the government-funded scholarship program for higher education degrees.

The CHED announced that the deadline for teachers’ application to the scholarship program will be moved from April 1 to April 8 this year.

“I commend the CHED for heeding the demand of the times. The extension provides a breather for private college teachers who would otherwise face low or loss of income during the K to 12 transition period,” Recto said.

College enrolment will go down this June as Grade 10 students are retained in schools for two more years of senior high school, prompting government to package a multi-billion-peso bridge financing program for affected personnel.

Recto has sought the extension of the deadline to give more time to teachers and schools that were busy with final tests to collate the required supporting documents.

The scholarships and other K to 12 transition programs in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are funded by a P5.27 billion allocation authorized in the 2016 national budget.

A CHED infographic, however, pegged at P8.28 billion the total budget for K to 12 related programs and projects it will implement this year.

Of this amount, P3 billion will be sourced from travel tax collections and state lotto earnings, pooled under the off-budget Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF), while P2.275 billion is appropriated in the CHED budget for the provision of scholarship to faculty members and HEI administrators.

Under the program, full scholarships for master’s and doctoral degrees are being offered to faculty and staff during the transition period.

In addition, scholarships for master’s and doctoral programs in selected foreign schools select are also offered. Grants for thesis and dissertation writing, professional advancement, and post-doctoral fellowships are also available.

Faculty scholars who qualify under the scholarship will be receiving a package consisting of tuition and fees; monthly stipend; book allowance; transportation allowance; thesis and dissertation allowance; and group insurance.

According to the guidelines, the stipend for those who qualify for scholarships for the master’s degree is P20,000 per month, while successful applicants for the doctoral program will receive a monthly allowance of P28,000.

There is also a thesis or dissertation allowance for master’s and doctoral programs in the amount of P50,000 and P100,000, respectively. For those studying outside their province, a transportation allowance of P10,000 a year will be given.

Recto said the scholarship program has two primary goals according to its guidelines issued by CHED in January 12 of this year: mitigate impact on labor of the K to 12 program and to upgrade qualifications of faculty.

“If these are the objectives, then we should accommodate as many applicants as we can,” Recto said.