DepEd extends voucher program for Grade 11 students in SUCs, LUCs

Grade 11 students enrolled in state and local universities and colleges may still avail of financial assistance for their education as the Department of Education (DepEd) announced the extension of their voucher program privilege until they finish senior high school.

DepEd adjusted after it learned that some SUCs and LUCs still accepted Grade 11 learners for SY 2023-2024, despite the issuance of an order stating that there should be no more Grade 11 voucher beneficiaries from SUCs and LUCs for the current academic year. 

“To prevent any displacement of learners, the DepEd would like to announce that the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP) will again be extended to Grade 11 learners currently enrolled in SUCs and LUCs for SY 2023-2024,” the agency said in a statement. 

DepEd said these Grade 11 students may also continue as voucher beneficiaries to complete their Grade 12 studies until SY 2024-2025.

“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.”

DepEd said that the acceptance of new senior high school learners by SUCs and LUCs shall only be made according to their charters and charged to their respective funds.

The agency said a Memorandum of Agreement with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will be executed to formalize the arrangement. 

The CHED earlier reminded SUCs and LUCs to stop the implementation of the SHS program after the K-12 transition period has ended. 

The higher education institutions' engagement in basic education through SHS was only allowed within the transition time frame from School Year (SY) 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021.

With this, DepEd said that affected SHS learners have two options: enroll in public schools offering basic education or enroll in private schools and avail of the voucher program. 

The department said that there are enough public schools and teachers to accommodate all 17,700 incoming Grade 12 learners affected by the discontinuation of the SHS program in SUCs and LUCs. —NB, GMA Integrated News