To continue providing Filipino students the opportunity to complete their college education, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Mina F. Pangandaman approved the issuance of a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to a total of P3.744 billion to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The amount shall be used for the implementation of CHED's Tulong Dunong Program which provides financial assistance to qualified and deserving students pursuing a college degree.

"This scholarship program is a huge help for our dear students, especially those who are having financial difficulty or simply cannot afford to go to college. Providing necessary funds for programs like this gives them a fighting chance to complete their degrees and ultimately give them a better future. As what President Bongbong Marcos said, sa Bagong Pilipinas, dapat ay walang Pilipinong maiiwan," Secretary Pangandaman said.

The Budget Secretary approved the release of SARO for the said purpose on 15 April 2024.

The released amount is set to benefit 247,135 student-grantees enrolled in CHED-recognized public and private higher education institutions, to aid the cost of tertiary education, for the second semester of the Academic Year (AY) 2023-2024 and the first semester of AY 2024-2025.

The Tulong Dunong Program is one of the components of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education - Tertiary Education Subsidy (UAQTE-TES).