Nursing, health students to get monetary aid

CEBU, Philippines — Nursing and allied health students are set to receive financial assistance for their Related Learning Experience (RLE) requirements following the inclusion of a ?500-million allocation in the proposed 2026 national budget.

The funding forms part of the ?1.38-trillion education budget and is intended to help cover RLE fees required for clinical duties, hospital rotations, and laboratory work.

Senator Bam Aquino, who advocated for the allocation, said the measure seeks to ease the financial burden on students and families and address workforce retention issues in the health sector.

RLE expenses, which students shoulder separately from tuition, can reach between ?100,000 and ?200,000 over the course of four years, according to Aquino.

He noted that despite free tuition and scholarship programs, these additional costs have continued to strain students, sometimes leading to debt or discontinuation of studies.

Aquino said the current system has contributed to the migration of healthcare graduates, as families incur significant expenses that are difficult to recover through local employment.

He added that including RLE fees in government support programs would help give graduates the option to work in the Philippines.

Under the Higher Education Development Program, the ?500-million fund will cover students enrolled in Nursing, Midwifery, Medical Technology or Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational and Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Psychology, Dentistry, Biochemistry, and Speech-Language Pathology.

An estimated 20,000 Nursing and allied health students in State Universities and Colleges and Local Universities and Colleges are expected to receive assistance ranging from ?10,000 to ?20,000.

These institutions will submit projected RLE costs to the Commission on Higher Education for funding through the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education, with the goal of removing RLE charges from students’ enrollment bills.

Students enrolled in accredited private higher education institutions may apply for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) to cover RLE expenses.

The 2026 budget directs CHED to revise TES guidelines to classify RLE fees as allowable costs.

Aquino said the allocation provides short-term relief, while he continues to push for Senate Bill No. 123, or the proposed Libreng RLE Act, which seeks to institutionalize free RLE for disadvantaged and “poor but deserving” students in the long term. — (FREEMAN)