Section 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

1. Cost of Tertiary Education refers to (1) tuition and other school fees,(2) educational expenses and (3) the cost of living allowance;

2. Graduate courses refer to higher education programs leading to a certificate, diploma, master’s or doctorate degrees, as may be authorized and recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);

3. Higher education refers to the stage of formal education, or its equivalent, requiring completion of secondary education and covering programs of study leading to bachelor and advanced degrees, including associate degrees;

4. Higher Education Institution (HEI) refers to an education institution authorized and recognized by the CHED to offer bachelor's degree or graduate courses:

5. Local universities and colleges (LUCs) refer to CHED-accredited public HEls established by local government units (LGUs) through an enabling ordinance, financially supported by the LGU concerned, and compliant with the policies, standards and guidelines of the CHED;

6. National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) or Listahanan 2.0 refers to the information management of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that, identifies who and where the poor are in the country. The system makes available to national government agencies and other social protection stakeholders a database of poor families as reference in identifying potential beneficiaries of social protection programs;

7. Other education-related expenses refer to expenses related to the education of a student such as books, school supplies, uniforms, reproduction of materials, electronic devices necessary for education and other fees such as for practical teaching devices, student publication, yearbook, insurance, and student trust funds;

8. Other school fees refer to fees charged by HEIs and technical-vocational institutions which cover other necessary costs supportive of instruction, specifically the followdng: library fees, computer fees, laboratory fees, school ID fees, athletic fees, admission fees, development fees, guidance fees, handbook fees, entrance fees, registration fees, medical and dental fees, cultural fees and other similar or related fees;

9. Private higher education institution refers to a HEI not owned and controlled by the government or its instrumentalities;

10. Private technical-vocational institution refers to post-secondary technical-vocational institution run by the private sector offering programs registered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);

11. Qualified student refers to any student who possesses all the qualifications under Sections 4 and 5 and none of the disqualifications under Section 6 hereof;

12. State-run technical-vocational institutions refer to technical-vocational institutions operated by the TESDA or LGUs: Provided, That, in the latter case, the same should be accredited by the TESDA:

13. State universities and colleges (SUCs) refer to public HEIs established by national laws which are financed and maintained by the national government and are governed by their respective independent boards of trustees or regents;

14. Student loan program for tertiary education refers to a loan program established under Section 8 of this Act;

15. Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) refers to the education process designed at post-secondary and lower tertiary levels, officially recognized as nondegree programs aimed at preparing technicians, paraprofessionals and other categories of middle-level workers by providing them with a broad range of general education, theoretical, scientific and technological studies, and related job skills training;

16. Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) refer to learning institutions offering post-secondary TVET;

17. Tertiary education refers to the stage of education following the secondary cycle which covers post-secondary nondegree diploma, TVET, and higher education programs, including graduate education;

18. Tertiary education subsidy (TES) refers to a subsidy established under Section 7 of this Act:

19. Tuition fees refer to fees or school charges for the subjects or course enrolled in by a tertiary education student;

20. Undergraduate courses refer to any program leading to a degree as may be authorized and recognized by the CHED; and

21. Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) refers to the harmonized, state-run and administered system of higher education and technical-vocational scholarships, grants-in-aid. student loans, and other modalities of student financial assistance program under Republic Act No. 10687.