Updated Senior High School Voucher Program Application

December 01, 2017

DepEd Order No. 60, s. 2017

GUIDELINES ON THE APPLICATION FOR THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

To:

Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau and Service Directors
Regional Secretary, ARMM
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Public and Private Secondary School Heads
All Others Concerned

1. The Department of Education (DepEd) issues the enclosed Guidelines on the Application for the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program (VP) for School Year (SY) 2018-2019 to provide clear and detailed guidelines on the procedures and flow of activities in voucher application, from pre-qualification to redemption, and other processes related to the application for vouchers.

2. These guidelines shall have national applicability, effective for vouchers that will be redeemed in SY 2018-2019.

3. These guidelines shall remain in effect unless amended or repealed.

4. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

LEONOR MAGTOLIS BRIONES
Secretary


(Enclosure to DepEd Order No. 60, s. 2017)

Guidelines on the Application for the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) in SY 2018-2019

I. Rationale

Republic Act No. (RA) 10533, otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, lengthened Philippine basic education from ten (10) to thirteen (13) years with the addition of Kindergarten and Grades 11 and 12 in Senior High School (SHS). Grade 11 was introduced in School Year (SY) 2016-17, Grade 12 in SY 2017-18.

RA 10533 explicitly expands Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE Law or RA 8545, amends RA 6728) to include Grades 11 and 12. It further mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) to formulate programs to enact the abovementioned law based on the principles of public-private partnership. In this regard, DepEd Order No. (DO) 11, series of 2015 introduced the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) as a mechanism to provide financial support to qualified students in SHS.

RA 10533 upholds the provisions of the Philippine Constitution of 1987, particularly Article XIV, Section 1, which guarantees the right of every Filipino to accessible and quality basic education, and Article XIV, Section 2.3, which mandates the State to establish a system of, among others, subsidies and incentives to deserving individuals in both public and private schools.

The intent of this Department Order is to provide clear and detailed guidelines on the implementation of processes related to the application for vouchers.

II. Scope

These guidelines shall have national applicability, and detail the processes and flow of activities in voucher application, from pre-qualification to redemption. These guidelines shall be effective for vouchers that will be redeemed in SY 2018-2019.

III. Definition of Terms

Non-DepEd Senior High School (Non-DepEd SHS) – An educational provider not directly operated by DepEd, but granted by DepEd with a permit or government recognition to operate SHS. This includes private high schools, private colleges and universities; local universities and colleges (LUCs); state universities and colleges (SUCs); and technical and vocational institutions.

Voucher – A subsidy given by the State to qualified Grade 10 completers to enable them to enroll in a non-DepEd SHS of their choice. The assistance helps to defray the cost of tuition and all other published fees charged by a non-DepEd SHS. The subsidy is not given to the student as cash; DepEd instead pays directly to the non-DepEd SHS where the student enrolls.

Grade 10 Completers – Students currently in Grade 10 and are expected to complete Junior High School (JHS) at the end of SY 2017-2018.

Educational Service Contracting (ESC) grantees – Grade 10 Completers who participate in the ESC, a program of financial assistance by DepEd for students in certified private JHSs.

Voucher Applicants (VAs) – Students who apply to qualify for vouchers. Students who are automatically qualified need not apply.

Qualified Voucher Recipients (QVRs) – Grade 10 completers who are prequalified or VAs who successfully qualify for the voucher subsidy.

Voucher Program Beneficiaries (VPBs) – QVRs who successfully enroll in a non-DepEd SHS and thus benefit from the voucher subsidy.

IV. Policy Statement

The SHS VP intends to:

a) Uphold the right to quality basic education by increasing access to SHS;

b) Increase the diversity of SHS providers beyond the current configuration. This in turn will engender a more dynamic system with schools deciding and innovating on their own;

c) Provide greater choice to students and their families in deciding the SHS program that caters to their needs and career goals

These objectives ultimately lead to the very purpose of K to 12 reform: relevant and high-quality education. As such, the SHS VP is meant to be a long-term program of DepEd.

V. Implementation Roles and Responsibilities

DepEd is the institutional owner and final authority of the SHS VP. It implements SHS VP to support RA 10533 or the K to 12 reform agenda of the government. It shall oversee and formulate policies and programs, provide the needed resources, and monitor and evaluate indicators related to the SHS VP to ensure its successful implementation.

The Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) has been contracted by the DepEd to manage the SHS VP. PEAC is the trustee of the Fund for Assistance to Private Education, a perpetual trust fund created to provide assistance to private education in the country. PEAC shall coordinate with DepEd and other stakeholders to ensure that applications are processed and results are promptly released.

Students are responsible for their choice of Senior High School and their own voucher applications. They shall ensure that forms are correctly filled, documents are complete, and applications are received by PEAC on or before the deadline.

Schools shall provide assistance and guidance to uphold student choice in the SHS VP. They must process documents requested by the students, and may provide career guidance programs, conduct orientations on the SHS VP, and provide resources to facilitate voucher applications. In contrast, schools should not impose their preferences on students or otherwise engage in practices that undermine student choice.

VI. Eligibility and Application Procedures

A. Eligibility

All and only Grade 10 students from DepEd-recognized schools in SY 2017-2018 are eligible for the SHS VP. For brevity, these students are termed Grade 10 completers. Grade 10 completers are subdivided into (1) automatically qualified students and (2) voucher applicants.

1. Automatically Qualified Students

Students falling under the categories below automatically qualify for vouchers and are considered qualified voucher recipients (QVRs). They do not need to apply for vouchers.

  • Category A: All Grade 10 completers in Public JHSs
  • Category B: All Grade 10 completers in SUCs and LUCs
  • Category C: All Grade 10 completers in private schools that are Educational Service Contracting (ESC) grantees

2. Voucher Applicants (VAs)

Only students in this category need to apply for vouchers and are thus termed voucher applicants (VAs).

  • Category D: All Grade 10 completers in private schools who are not ESC grantees and wish to avail of the voucher subsidy in order to enroll in a non-DepEd SHS.
  • Category E: Students who took/will take the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test and the Philippine Education Placement Test (PEPT) in the current school year and passed and have been certified for admission to Grade 11 in SY 2018-2019, provided that they received their certification not later than May 31, 2018, may also apply for the SHS VP through the manual application procedure as presented in the next subsection.

NOTE: The following students are not eligible for the SHS VP:

  • Those who graduated High School in March 2015 or earlier
  • Grade 10 completers who completed Grade 10 before or after SY 2017-2018
  • Incoming Grade 12 students who were not part of the voucher program in Grade 11
  • Non-Filipino students

B. Voucher Application Procedures

Applications may be done manually or online and are free of charge.

VAs are urged to apply online as this mode carries a number of features that manual applications do not enjoy. Online applications allow VAs to have a longer period to apply, submit the required documents in parts, and track their applications. Online applications can also be monitored real-time so VAs are sooner informed of deficiencies.

Online applications (Deadline: February 28, 2018)

1. Access the Online Voucher Application Portal (OVAP) at http://ovap.deped.gov.ph. Follow the instructions to create an OVAP account. Wait for the confirmation email to be sent to the VA’s email address. An account is not yet an application.

2. Upon receipt of the confirmation email, click on the link provided to access the OVAP as a registered user.

3. Complete the electronic Voucher Application Form (VAF-1)

4. Scan or take a picture and upload the following:

a. Recent 2X2 colored ID photo

b. Proof of financial means of the parents, guardian, or the person who is helping send the student to school as shown in the table below:

Table 1. Required document as proof of financial means

If the concerned person is:Required documentWhere to obtain document if not readily available
Employed in the Philippines (including self employed)Latest Annual Income Tax Return ORBureau of Internal Revenue
Certificate of Employment*Employer
Employed abroadCertificate of Employment*Employer or recruitment agency
Unemployed and without incomeCertificate of Non-filing of Income Tax Return ORBureau of Internal Revenue
Municipal Certificate of UnemploymentMayor's office (NOT from the Barangay or the City Assessor's office)
Unemployed but with other sources of incomeAffidavit of Financial Support stating monthly support providedNotary Public

*The Certificate of Employment should state the person’s occupation and gross monthly income. For employees, gross monthly income refers to the gross monthly wages or salaries before taxes and other deductions. It includes basic pay, overtime pay, commissions, tips, allowances and one-twelfth of annual bonuses. For all others, it refers to the average monthly earnings from their business, trade, profession, investments and/or pensions.

c. Certificate of Financial Assistance received (issued by the school), if applicable

5. Submit the application when the VAF-1 and the required documents are complete. OVAP automatically confirms receipt of application.

6. After submission of the application, the VA will receive an email with a Voucher Application Number (VAN), and instructions on how to submit the required documents.

Manual applications (Deadline: January 31, 2018)

1. Obtain and fill out the Voucher Application Form (VAF-1). VAF-1 forms are available at DepEd Schools Division Offices, JHSs, and non-DepEd SHSs. It is also attached as Annex 1 to this issuance and may be reproduced.

2. Enclose the following documents in a long brown envelope:

a. Completed VAF-1

b. Recent 2X2 colored ID photo

c. Proof of financial means of the parents, guardian, or the person who is helping send the student to school (as shown in Table 1 above)

d. Certificate of Financial Assistance received (issued by the school), if applicable

e. Additional requirement for ALS and PEPT passers only: Certificate of Eligibility to enroll in Grade 11

3. Mail or submit the application package to:

SHS Voucher Program Applications
PEAC National Secretariat
5th Floor Salamin Building
197 Salcedo Street Makati City 1229

It is the responsibility of the VA to ensure that his or her application is complete and correct, and that it is received on or before the deadline. All applications must indicate a mobile number and/or email address so PEAC can correspond with the VA. For manual applications, courier services that allow VAs to track their submissions are also highly recommended.

VII. Tracking the Application, Follow-ups, and Inquiries

It is the responsibility of the VA to track the status of the application.

VAs who applied online can track the status of their applications by accessing their accounts in the OVAP.

For VAs who submitted manual applications, PEAC will publish the list of applications received and the status of each application at http://fape.org.ph.

VAs may further inquire or follow-up through the PEAC hotline (02-840-6000) or the PEAC Email HelpDesk (shs.vms@fape.org.ph).

VIII. Qualification or Disqualification

Applications submitted after the deadline are disqualified and will not be processed. Applications that were submitted on or before the deadline but contain false information or are incomplete are likewise disqualified and will not be processed.

PEAC shall process all and only complete applications submitted on or before the deadline and forward the results to DepEd for approval. All automatically qualified students and VAs who meet the qualification criteria are considered QVRs, and they shall be tagged as QVRs in the DepEd Learner Information System (LIS).

IX. Notification of Results

Results will be released on March 31, 2018 for applicants who were Grade 10 completers of the previous school year and on June 29, 2018 for ALS and PEPT passers. Results will be posted at ovap.deped.gov.ph and may be accessed by students, parents, and schools. Links to the results will also be made available at the PEAC and DepEd websites.

It is the responsibility of the VA to check the results of the application.

Results of the voucher application are deemed final and not subject to appeal.

X. Applicable Voucher Values

The applicable voucher amount is determined by the category of the QVR, and the location, type, and fees of the non-DepEd SHS where the QVR will enroll. The maximum voucher amounts are shown in the table below:

Table 2. Maximum applicable voucher amount (in PHP per student per school year)

Location of non-DepEd SHSCategory of QVRVoucher AmountVoucher Amount if the SHS is a LUC or SUC
National Capital Region (NCR)Categories A or B
22,50011,250
Categories C, D, E18,000
Highly urbanized cities (HUCs) outside of NCRCategories A or B
20,00010,000
Categories C, D, E16,000
All other locationsCategories A or B17,5008,750
Categories C, D, E14,000

Voucher amounts represent the maximum payment a Non-DepEd SHS Provider shall be paid per VPB per school year. Schools receive voucher payments based on the total school fees they charge or the maximum voucher amount applicable, whichever is lower.

XI. Schedule of Implementation

VAs are advised to be mindful of significant dates in the SHS VP as shown in the schedule below:

Table 3. Schedule of implementation of voucher applications for the school year (SY)

ScheduleProcess
December 6, 2017Start of voucher application period
January 31, 2018Deadline for receipt of manual applications - Grade 10 completers
February 28, 2018Deadline for receipt of online applications
March 31, 2018Release of results of the voucher application - Grade 10 completers

Start of redemption of vouchers
June 15,2018Deadline for receipt of manual applications - ALS and PEPT passers
June 29, 2018Release of results of the voucher application - ALS and PEPT passers
August 31, 2018Deadline for redemption of vouchers

XII. Voucher Validity and Redemption

Vouchers shall be redeemed in the first semester of the school year immediately after Grade 10 completion and shall no longer be valid if not redeemed by August 31, 2018. The voucher covers two years regardless of the number of years it takes for the recipient to complete SHS.

A QVR redeems his or her voucher by enrolling at a non-DepEd SHS. As with any student, QVRs need to satisfy the requirements for admission set by the Non-DepEd SHS. A QVR who successfully enrolls at a Non-DepEd SHS becomes a voucher program beneficiary (VPB).

XIII. Monitoring and Evaluation

DepEd and PEAC shall conduct random checks on schools and students to ensure program compliance.

PEAC shall monitor processes in the voucher applications so as to meet standards on turnaround times and data integrity. It shall prepare and submit interim reports as may be required by DepEd to improve future implementations of the SHS VP.

A period review of these guidelines shall be conducted by DepEd and PEAC to further enhance the provisions stipulated herein, and ensure effectiveness of the application processes.

List of Annexes

  • Annex 1a VAF-1 for Grade 10 Private Non-ESC Completers
  • Annex 1b VAF-1 for ALS A&E and PEPT Passers
  • Annex 2 Certification of Financial Assistance
  • Annex 3a SHS VP Online Application Process Flow Chart
  • Annex 3b SHS VP Manual Application Process Flow Chart

Senior High School Voucher Program Online Application Process Flow Chart

Student determines if s/he needs to apply for a voucher. (Only Grade 10 students in private schools who are not ESC grantees in SY 2017-2018 and ALS A&E Test and PEPT passers need to apply. Grade 10 students in public schools and ESC grantees in SY 2017-2018 are automatically qualified for a voucher and need not apply.)

Student accesses the Online Voucher Application Portal (OVAP) (http://ovap.deoed.eov.ph) and follows instructions to create and activate an OVAP account.

Student completes the electronic Voucher Application Form (VAF-1).

Student secures and uploads images of supporting documents per Table 1 below. (VAF-1 and supporting documents must be complete and submitted by February 28, 2017.)

Student periodically tracks the status of his/her application in OVAP. PEAC, through OVAP, advises on the status of the application e.g., it has been received, has any deficiencies, or is being processed.

Student can also call the PEAC hotline (02-840-6000) or email the PEAC Helpdesk (shs.vms@fape.ore. ph) for follow-ups and inquiries.

PEAC releases results in OVAP on March 31, 2017. PEAC will also email results to students on a staggered basis.

Student redeems voucher by enrolling at a non-DepEd SHS.

Senior High School Voucher Program Manual Application Process

Student determines if s/he needs to apply for a voucher. (Only Grade 10 students in private schools who are not ESC grantees in SY 2017-2018 and ALS A&E Test and PEPT passers need to apply. Grade 10 students in public schools and ESC grantees in SY 2017-2018 are automatically qualified for a voucher and need not apply.)

Student prints or obtains from the school/Schools Division Office a copy of the manual application form that applies to him/her.

1. Annex la: Voucher Application Form – Grade 10 Private Non-ESC Students

2. Annex lb: Voucher Application Form – ALS

Student completes the correct Voucher Application Form (VAF-1) and encloses the supporting documents per Table 1 below in a long, brown envelope.

Student mails or submit the filled out VAF-1 and complete required documents to:

SHS VOUCHER PROGRAM APPLICATIONS
PEAC National Secretariat
5th Floor Salamin Building
197 Salcedo Street
Makati City 1229

Deadline is January 31, 2017 for Grade 10 private non-ESC applicants, and June 15, 2017 for ALS A&E Test and PEPT

Student periodically tracks the status of his/her application in OVAP. PEAC, through OVAP, advises on the status of the application e.g., it has been received, has any deficiencies, or is being processed.

Student can also call the PEAC hotline (02-840-6000) or email the PEAC Helpdesk (shs.vms@fape.org.ph) for follow-ups and inquiries.

PEAC releases results in OVAP on March 31, 2017. PEAC will also email results to students on a staggered basis.

Student redeems voucher by enrolling at a non-DepEd SHS.

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1 thought on “Updated Senior High School Voucher Program Application”

  1. Hi S’Mark,
    My daughter is an incoming Grade 11 student , we would like to avail of the Senior HIgh School Program may we know when the application will be open?

    Reply

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