Around 19,000 nursing and allied health sciences students are set to receive a one-time P25,000 financial assistance to help cover expenses for their required Related Learning Experience.
The Commission on Higher Education launched the online application portal for the Allied Health Experiential Assistance for Deserving Students Grant, or AHEAD Grant, which aims to ease the financial burden of clinical training, community exposure, and other hands-on learning requirements needed for graduation.
The program is backed by P500 million under the 2026 national budget and will support students enrolled in nursing and other medical-related programs who often shoulder high costs for transportation, uniforms, medical requirements, lodging, and other expenses tied to RLE.
CHED said the covered degree programs include Nursing, Medical Technology or Medical Laboratory Science, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Pharmacy, Speech Language Pathology, Public Health, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Doctor of Optometry, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
The grant was established through CHED Memorandum Order No. 11, Series of 2026.
CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said the assistance is meant to help more Filipino students complete their studies, enter the health workforce, and pursue their professional goals.
“Ang AHEAD Grant ay isang konkretong hakbang upang matiyak na mas maraming kabataang Pilipino ang mabibigyan ng pagkakataong makapagtapos, makapaglingkod, at maabot ang kanilang mga pangarap,” Agrupis said.
Ten nursing students from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina participated in the ceremonial enrollment during the launch of the online portal.
The financial aid is expected to benefit students and families struggling with the cost of RLE, which is similar to on-the-job training and is required in allied health courses.
Supporters of the program said the grant could reduce the need for students to borrow money or delay their training due to lack of funds, especially as families continue to face higher costs of basic goods and petroleum products.
There are also efforts to make RLE expenses a regular part of student financial assistance under proposed amendments to the Free College Law. The proposal seeks to include RLE-related costs under the Tertiary Education Subsidy and make training support more predictable in future budgets.
A separate bill also seeks to make RLE free in state universities and colleges and local universities and colleges, while allowing nursing students in private schools to apply for TES assistance for RLE-related expenses.
Students may submit applications and supporting documents through the AHEAD Grant online portal.