The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on January 16, 2024, that the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP) is extended for Grade 11 students currently enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUC) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUC).
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) had previously ordered the discontinuance of the SHS program in SUCs and LUCs across the country. The memo, issued on December 19, 2023, emphasized that the engagement of SUCs and LUCs in basic education through Senior High School had already ended, from the school year 2016-2017 to 2020-2021.
At that time, CHED Chairperson J. Prospero E. De Vera III stated that while the SHS program would still continue, it would not be offered in government-funded universities and colleges. Grade 11 and 12 students could still enroll at DepEd and private schools and universities.
During a briefing of the House committee on basic education and culture, DepEd Undersecretary and spokesman Michael Poa noted that 17,751 Grade 11 students are now considered “non-voucher recipients” since the subsidy program for SHS learners has ended.
Poa said, “When we checked the database without the voucher program, we expected that SUCs, LUCs will no longer be admitting the new Grade 11 entrants, because it was already announced that the voucher will no longer be extended.”
He then disclosed that Vice President Sara Duterte, who also heads DepEd, has directed the agency to continue the voucher program for Grade 11 students.
“We will also be extending the program for Grade 12 because they became recipients in the previous year. We want them to finish (SHS),” Poa said. He further clarified that DepEd will work with CHED to implement the extension.
The DepEd statement also includes a reminder to SUCs and LUC on the acceptance of Grade 11 students, stating, “Finally, to avoid a similar situation going forward, we would like to remind our SUCs and LUCs that DepEd will no longer be extending the SHSVP to Grade 11 learners in their schools beginning SY 2024-2025.”
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