The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Commission on Higher Education have formalized a partnership aimed at giving overseas Filipino workers a direct path to finishing college — one that counts their years of work abroad as academic credit.
Under the arrangement, qualified OFWs admitted into the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program, or ETEEAP, may apply for financial assistance through OWWA’s Lifelong Learning Education Assistance Program for Overseas Filipino Workers, known as LEAP-OFWs. The program is designed to cover educational costs for those who need financial support to complete their degree.
ETEEAP, administered by CHED, allows workers to convert professional experience into academic units toward a bachelor’s degree — bypassing the need to complete a full traditional course load from the beginning. For many OFWs who left the Philippines before finishing college, the program offers a way to earn credentials that reflect the skills they have already acquired on the job.
OWWA describes the program as part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen reintegration support and ensure that returning OFWs have concrete opportunities awaiting them at home. The agency has indicated that eligible OFWs may begin the application process even while still working overseas.
Under the program, financial assistance covers tuition and related educational expenses for qualified OWWA members admitted to ETEEAP-participating institutions.
