MANILA, Philippines – The government is offering financial assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are seeking to earn a college degree faster through work experience and prior learning.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) signed on Wednesday, April 29, a memorandum of agreement to implement their joint initiative, the Lifelong Learning Education Assistance Program for OFWs (LEAP OFWs).
Through LEAP OFWs, qualified beneficiaries may get a scholarship to enter the government’s Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP).
The ceremonial signing came as over 6,000 OFWs have been repatriated since the Middle East crisis broke out last February 28. According to OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, close to 40% of repatriated OFWs are seeking employment in the country.
“This partnership between OWWA and CHED ensures that our OFWs receive not only scholarships or financial assistance but also guidance, monitoring, and support throughout their learning journey,” Caunan said during the signing.
“More importantly, this initiative is anchored on reintegration,” she added.
The initiative will make use of ETEEAP to recognize OFWs’ work experience and prior learning, so these can be counted as academic credits.
That means they would be able to obtain their bachelor’s degree faster, from the usual four years to possibly just one to two years.
ETEEAP started way back in 1996 through a memorandum order, but it was institutionalized only in March 2025 through Republic Act No. 12124.
According to CHED, ETEEAP has already produced 333 OFW graduates.
The learning modes are also flexible, such as online or distance education, so OFWs won’t necessarily have to be located in the Philippines to study.
CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis recently said there are currently 1,409 OFW enrollees who are based in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States.
They are working to get their degrees in fields such as engineering, business and finance, allied health, and education.
OFWs who can apply for ETEEAP should be at least 23 years old. They must have completed secondary education, and were unable to finish a bachelor’s degree. Tech-voc graduates are qualified, too.
The OFWs, active or repatriated, should also have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience aligned with the degree they will pursue.
For the pilot implementation of LEAP OFWs, Caunan told reporters they will open 100 slots — 50 slots for OFWs abroad, while the other 50 are for returning OFWs.
There are deputized public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) for ETEEAP across the country.
CHED said they are recognized as centers of excellence or centers of development in the programs they are offering for ETEEAP.
As of March, only six schools have secured the renewal of their five-year deputization. Over 100 HEIs need to recertify this year.
Check this CHED list for eligible schools.
Applicants should pass their birth certificate, secondary education credentials or transcript of records, comprehensive work portfolio, certificates of relevant training programs (including national certificates obtained from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority), and employer or industry recommendation.
Deputized HEIs may also ask applicants who are currently unemployed for other documents such as a previous notarized service record or certificate of employment.
Last April 7, CHED launched an online enlistment system to streamline the process. You can access it here.
Based on the law’s implementing rules and regulations, the deputized HEI will assess ETEEAP candidates through portfolio evaluation, written examinations, practical demonstrations, and an oral defense or interview.
To determine the amount of equivalent credit awarded to a candidate, assessors will match the candidate’s demonstrated training and learning from prior education with the learning outcomes and standards of the target degree program.
OWWA has yet to determine the amount of assistance under LEAP OFWs, but the money will be sourced from its Alagang OWWA Fund.
In its 2026 budget, the agency has P500 million for the Alagang OWWA Program. – Rappler.com


