A college graduate in every Albayano home – that is the dream and vision of the Albay Higher Education Contribution Scheme, a novel education assistance program that will kick off in the 2010-2011 school year. Adopted from an Australian education model, the Albay Higher Education Contribution Scheme or AHECS aims to help Albayano students pursue and earn college degrees or complete two-year technical education programs. The program is part of the Education Quality for Albayanos (EQUAL) project, a brainchild of Albay Governor Joey S. Salceda, that promotes universal access to education for Albayano youth.

Salceda explained that AHECS is a concessional loan facility, adopting the Australian model, to motivate Albayano students to finish high school because the provincial government assures them of easy access to tertiary education upon graduation. He explained that the loan facility entails a deferred payment scheme. The provincial government will pay part of the students school fees. Under the program he added, AHECS will extend P5,000 as loan assistance per semester of study.

Salceda stressed that every Albayano family deserves to produce at least one fully educated child deserving and capable of leading a rightful and productive life in society. “And so the provincial government also intends to help meet their learning needs,” the governor explained.

Salceda said AHECS grantees must finish their courses of study and keep in touch with the provincial government which the scholar must regularly update on their personal circumstances like change of address or name as in the case of female beneficiaries who may get married.

The AHECS rules provide that loans shall bear an interest of 10 percent per annum, payment for which shall be demandable after the completion of the study program or when the grantee gets employed. The rules also state that if the grantee stops it shall be considered a breach of agreement and the parents are immediately obliged to settle the loan availed of.

The program also has a monitoring scheme that will track the employment of graduates in cooperation with relatives, Social Security System (SSS), Government Services and Insurance System (GSIS), national statistics Office (NSO) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC).

Source: Official Website of the Province of Albay