19,000 NURSING, ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS TO GET P25K RLE FINANCIAL AID — BAM

AS fulfillment of his another campaign promise, Sen. Bam Aquino and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced that 19,000 nursing and allied health sciences students stand to receive a one-time P25,000 financial assistance for their Related Learning Experience (RLE) expenses. 

In his meetings with nursing students from various parts of the country during the 2025 senatorial campaign, Aquino promised to address their concerns over the high cost of RLE, which is similar to on-the-job training (OJT) and is required for graduation. 

During his stint as chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, he secured P500 million in the 2026 national budget to help cover the RLE expenses of allied health sciences students. 

Aquino on Monday attended the CHED’s launch of the online portal for the submission of applications and supporting documents for the Allied Health Experiential Assistance for Deserving Students (AHEAD) Grant. 

CHED chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis and CHED Commissioners Dr. Desiderio Apag III, Dr. Ricmar Aquino, Dr. Myrna Mallari, and Dr. Michelle Aguilar-Ong were also on hand as 10 nursing students from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina (PLMar) held a ceremonial enrollment via the online application portal. 

Aquino said the AHEAD Grant, established through CHED Memorandum Order No. 11, Series of 2026, will help ease the financial burden on students and their families, especially amid rising prices of goods and petroleum products. 

“Malaking tulong ito sa ating mga estudyante na naka-enroll sa allied health and medical-related programs na nahihirapan kung saan kukuha ng pambayad at napipilitang mangutang para sa RLE,” Aquino said. 

“Makakagaan din ito sa gastusin ng kanilang mga pamilya, lalo ngayong mataas ang presyo ng bilihin at produktong petrolyo. May magagamit na silang panggastos para sa iba pang mahalagang pangangailangan ng pamilya,” he added. 

Aquino also committed to push in next week’s bicameral conference committee on the Free College Law amendment a provision that would allow the inclusion of RLE expenses under the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES). 

“This is our amendment. We included to allow TES for RLE na special para magiging mandated na rin po iyong pagpondo nito. We will fight that every year, itataas natin iyong budget para mas maraming estudyante ang makakakuha ng tulong,” he assured. 

He also lauded CHED for swiftly putting the program in place, from the issuance of guidelines to the launch of the online application portal. 

According to Dr. Agrupis, covered degree programs include Nursing, Medical Technology or Medical Laboratory Science, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Pharmacy, Speech Language Pathology, Public Health, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Doctor of Optometry, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. 

“Ang AHEAD Grant ay isang konkretong hakbang upang matiyak na mas maraming kabataang Pilipino ang mabibigyan ng pagkakataong makapagtapos, makapaglingkod, at maabot ang kanilang mga pangarap. Itong AHEAD program na ito, through the initiative of our beloved Senator (Aquino), we will be including this in our expanded memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health,” Dr. Agrupis said.  

“Nagpapasalamat tayo kay Senator Bam at CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis para sa malaking tulong na ito para sa nursing students ng PLMar,” Marikina Mayor Maan Teodoro said. 

The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina was also represented  by Vice President Jacqueline Calaycay and Former President Joselito Rivera. 

The Senator is also pushing to make RLE free in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) through his Senate Bill No. 123. Under the proposed measure, nursing students in private universities would be able to apply for TES assistance for RLE-related expenses.

Aquino earlier delivered on his campaign commitment to provide adequate funding for education as he helped secure a historic P1.34-trillion education allocation under the 2026 national budget—the largest education budget in the country’s history—to address various challenges in the sector. 

Students can now apply through the AHEAD Grant online portal (https://ahead.ched.gov.ph/).