DepEd Order No. 66, s. 2016, dated October 28, 2016, sets out the detailed guidelines for applying to the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program. The program gives financial support to qualified Grade 10 completers so they can enroll in a non-DepEd senior high school of their choice. The order was signed by Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones. It took effect for vouchers redeemed in School Year 2017-2018 and stays in effect unless amended or repealed.
This page is for Grade 10 learners, parents, school heads, and guidance teachers who want to know who qualifies, how to apply, and how much a voucher is worth under this order.
On this page 15 sections
Key points
- Who is eligible: only Grade 10 students in the current school year (called Grade 10 completers).
- Who qualifies automatically: Grade 10 completers in public junior high schools, in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs), and private school students who are Educational Service Contracting (ESC) grantees.
- Who must apply: Grade 10 completers in private schools who are not ESC grantees.
- How to apply: online or manually. Both ways are free.
- Deadlines: manual applications by the 2nd Friday of January; online applications by the 2nd Friday of February of the current school year.
- Results: released at the end of February. Results are final and cannot be appealed.
- Voucher value: up to PHP 22,500 per student per school year, depending on the school’s location, type, and fees and on the student’s category.
- Payment: the voucher is not given as cash. DepEd pays the non-DepEd SHS directly.
- Validity: the voucher must be redeemed in the first semester right after Grade 10. It covers two years of SHS.
Topics the guidelines cover
The order lists these parts of the application process:
- Eligibility
- Voucher application procedures
- Tracking the application, follow-ups, and inquiries
- Qualification or disqualification
- Notification of results
- Applicable voucher values
- Schedule of implementation
- Voucher validity and redemption
- Monitoring and evaluation
Why the program exists
Republic Act No. 10533, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, added Kindergarten and Grades 11 and 12 to basic education. Grade 11 started in SY 2016-17 and Grade 12 in SY 2017-18. The law extends government assistance to students in private education (Republic Act 8545) to Grades 11 and 12, based on public-private partnership. DepEd Order No. 11, s. 2015 created the SHS Voucher Program to carry this out. The program also supports Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution, which guarantees access to quality basic education and calls for subsidies for deserving students in public and private schools.
Per DO 11, s. 2015, the program aims to:
- uphold the right to quality basic education and increase access to SHS;
- increase the variety of SHS providers, so schools can decide and innovate on their own;
- give students and families more choice of an SHS program that fits their needs and career goals;
- ease the pressure on DepEd to provide SHS only through its own schools in a short time;
- ease the financial impact on colleges and universities with lower enrollment in the first years of SHS.
The order describes the SHS Voucher Program as a long-term DepEd program. The guidelines apply nationwide and cover the process from prequalification to redemption.
Key terms
- Non-DepEd SHS: an SHS provider not run directly by DepEd. This includes private high schools, private colleges and universities, LUCs, SUCs, and technical and vocational institutions.
- Voucher: a state subsidy that helps qualified Grade 10 completers pay school fees at a non-DepEd SHS. DepEd pays the school directly.
- Grade 10 completers: students now in Grade 10 who are expected to finish Junior High School at the end of the school year.
- Voucher Applicants (VAs): students who apply to qualify for vouchers. Prequalified students do not need to apply.
- Qualified Voucher Recipients (QVRs): prequalified Grade 10 completers, or applicants who qualify.
- Voucher Program Beneficiaries (VPBs): QVRs who enroll in a non-DepEd SHS and receive the subsidy.
Roles
- DepEd owns the program and has final authority. It makes policies, provides resources, and monitors results.
- The Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) manages the program under contract with DepEd. It is trustee of the Fund for Assistance to Private Education and processes the applications.
- Students choose their SHS and handle their own applications. They must fill out forms correctly, complete the documents, and make sure PEAC receives them by the deadline.
- Schools may guide students, run career guidance programs, process requested documents, and hold orientations. They must not push their own preferences on students or undermine student choice.
Who qualifies
| Category | Who | Must apply? |
|---|---|---|
| A | All Grade 10 completers in public JHS | No, automatically qualified |
| B | All Grade 10 completers in SUCs and LUCs | No, automatically qualified |
| C | Grade 10 completers in private schools who are ESC grantees | No, automatically qualified |
| D | Grade 10 completers in private schools who are not ESC grantees and want a voucher for a non-DepEd SHS | Yes |
How to apply (Category D)
DepEd urges applicants to apply online. Online applicants get a longer period to apply, can upload documents in parts, can track their application, and are told of missing items sooner.
Online application
Deadline: 2nd Friday of February of the current school year.
- Go to the Online Voucher Application Portal (OVAP) and create an account. Wait for the confirmation email.
- Click the link in the confirmation email to log in as a registered user.
- Complete the electronic Voucher Application Form (VAF-1).
- Scan or photograph and upload:
- a recent 2×2 colored ID photo;
- proof of financial means of the parents, guardian, or person helping send the student to school (see the table below);
- a certification of financial assistance received, issued by the school, if applicable.
- Submit once the form and documents are complete. OVAP confirms receipt automatically.
Manual application
Deadline: 2nd Friday of January of the current school year.
- Get and fill out the Voucher Application Form (VAF-1). It is available at DepEd Division Offices, junior high schools, and non-DepEd SHSs, and is attached to the order as Annex A, which may be reproduced. Write in block capital letters.
- Put these in a long brown envelope:
- the completed VAF-1;
- a recent 2×2 colored ID photo attached to the form;
- proof of financial means (see the table below);
- a certification of financial assistance received from the school, if applicable.
- Mail or courier the envelope to: SHS Voucher Program Applications, PEAC National Secretariat, 5th Floor Salamin Building, 197 Salcedo Street, Makati City 1229 (Tel. 02-840-6000).
Include a mobile number and/or email address so PEAC can contact you. A courier service that lets you track your package is highly recommended.
Proof of financial means
| If the parent, guardian, or supporter is | Required document | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Employed in the Philippines (including self-employed) | Latest Annual Income Tax Return, or Certificate of Employment | Bureau of Internal Revenue or employer |
| Employed abroad | Certificate of Employment | Employer or recruitment agency |
| Unemployed and without income | Certificate of Non-filing of Income Tax Return, or Municipal Certificate of Unemployment, or affidavit stating unemployment | BIR; the Mayor’s office (not the barangay or City Assessor’s office); or a notary public |
| Unemployed but with other sources of income | Affidavit stating sources of income and average gross monthly income | Notary public |
The Certificate of Employment must state the person’s occupation and gross monthly income. For employees, gross monthly income is pay before taxes and deductions, including basic pay, overtime, commissions, tips, allowances, and one-twelfth of annual bonuses. For others, it is average monthly earnings from business, trade, profession, investments, and/or pensions.
Reminders
- Make sure the application is complete and reaches PEAC on or before the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.
- Do not submit more than one application. If you applied online, do not send a manual form, and vice versa. Multiple submissions delay processing.
Tracking, results, and disqualification
- Online applicants can track their status in their OVAP account.
- For manual applications, PEAC confirms receipt and reports missing items by email, landline, mobile, or regular mail. Applicants can follow up through the PEAC hotline (02-840-6000) or the PEAC Email HelpDesk (shs.vms@fape.org.ph).
- PEAC processes all applications and sends results to DepEd for approval. Qualified students are tagged as QVRs in the DepEd Learner Information System (LIS).
- False information, or an application still incomplete after the deadline, is grounds for disqualification.
- Results are first posted at the end of February on the OVAP website, with links on the PEAC and DepEd websites. Applicants are then notified by email, or by text or regular mail if they have no email. Results are final and not subject to appeal.
Voucher values
Maximum voucher amount, in PHP per student per school year:
| Location of non-DepEd SHS | Category of QVR | Voucher amount | Amount if the SHS is a SUC or LUC |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Capital Region (NCR) | A and B | 22,500 | 11,250 |
| NCR | C and D | 18,000 | Not stated |
| Highly urbanized cities outside NCR | A and B | 20,000 | 10,000 |
| Highly urbanized cities outside NCR | C and D | 16,000 | Not stated |
| All other locations | A and B | 17,500 | 8,750 |
| All other locations | C and D | 14,000 | Not stated |
These are maximum amounts. A school is paid either its total school fees or the maximum voucher amount, whichever is lower.
Schedule of implementation
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| October of the current school year | Application period opens; follow-ups on applications begin |
| 2nd Friday of January | Deadline for manual applications |
| 2nd Friday of February | Deadline for online applications |
| End of February | Results released; redemption of vouchers begins |
| 2nd Friday of August of the following school year | Deadline for redeeming vouchers |
Voucher validity and redemption
A QVR redeems the voucher by enrolling in a non-DepEd SHS in the first semester of the school year right after finishing Grade 10. Vouchers not redeemed in that period are no longer valid. The voucher covers two years, no matter how long the student takes to finish SHS. QVRs must still meet the admission requirements of the school they choose. Once enrolled, they become voucher program beneficiaries.
Monitoring and evaluation
DepEd and PEAC run random checks on schools and students. Serious violations may bar a school or student from the program. PEAC monitors turnaround times and data quality and submits reports to DepEd to improve the program.
Effectivity
The guidelines apply to vouchers redeemed in School Year 2017-2018 and remain in effect unless amended or repealed. The order directs immediate dissemination and strict compliance.
More DepEd resources
- DepEd Guidelines on the Proper Distribution, Retrieval and Disposal of Textbooks
- DepEd Kindergarten Sample Classroom Layouts
- DepEd Kindergarten Outdoor Play Area/Equipment Specifications
- DepEd Preschool Building Program
Frequently asked questions
Do public school Grade 10 students need to apply for the SHS voucher?
No. Under DO 66, s. 2016, all Grade 10 completers in public junior high schools, SUCs, and LUCs, and ESC grantees in private schools, qualify automatically. Only private school students who are not ESC grantees must apply.
What are the application deadlines?
Manual applications must be received by the 2nd Friday of January, and online applications by the 2nd Friday of February of the current school year. Applications open in October.
How much is the SHS voucher worth?
The order sets maximum amounts from PHP 14,000 to PHP 22,500 per student per school year, depending on the school’s location and the student’s category. Lower amounts apply to A and B students in SUCs and LUCs, and schools are paid their fees or the maximum, whichever is lower.
Is the voucher given to the student as cash?
No. DepEd pays the voucher directly to the non-DepEd senior high school where the student enrolls.
Can I appeal if my voucher application is not approved?
No. The order states that voucher application results are final and not subject to appeal.
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