CHED admits delay of allowances; scholars take ire to social media

There will be “further delays” in the release of living allowances and monthly grants for scholars and grantees under the K to 12 transition program, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently announced.

In a statement posted on the official Facebook page of the K to 12 Transition Program Project Management Unit, CHED notified all scholars and grantees of Scholarships for Graduate Studies-Local program and the Sectoral Engagement Grants of the delay in the release of their monthly grants and allowances.

According to CHED, this is “in view of the notices received by the unit from the Commission on Audit (COA), there will be further delays in the release of living allowances and monthly grants.”

CHED noted that as part of the regular audit process, “the unit was required to submit additional documents, in compliance with government accounting and audit rules and regulations.”

These requirements, the Commission said, include the certification of employment and proof of deloading during the grant period of all scholars and grantees.

The Commission said that it is currently gathering the needed requirements in coordination with the scholars and grantees’ respective Sending Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

“We acknowledge the inconvenience that these delays have caused,” CHED said. “We will expedite the collection of these documents in order to release the funds as soon as possible,” it added.

However, more and more scholars and grantees under the CHED scholarship program expressed disappointment over the delay of their allowances.

The scholars have been taking their sentiments to the Facebook page of the K to 12 Transition Program Project Management Unit.

In her post dated August 27, Zell Fernandez Sudoy lamented that she has yet to receive her allowance for the past three months – from May to August – despite providing the requirements such as previous certificate of grades, among others. “Now that the finalization of our semester is near, I have not received yet any allowances,” she said.

Jessa Mae Banse, in her post dated August 24, said that while the program is good, its implementation is poor. “Allowances are delayed for at least two months [and] when you inquire, even with the central office, no definite answer is given,” she said.

Banse said on the second year of implementation of the program “there was no improvement in the system.” She also claimed that concerned offices “lose documents that were submitted and will not inform the scholar.”

Assurance CHED, on the other hand, assured the affected scholars and grantees that it is “continuously processing the documents, and that the funds will be released upon fully complying with the requirements of COA.”

“We wish to apologize for this unforeseen development,” CHED said. “We are trying our best to increase the efficiency of our processes to reduce delays, and we hope that starting this academic year, we would be able to see the fruits of our reforms,” it added.