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| L-R: GCash Head of Data Solutions for New Businesses Oscar Pobre; iPeople Inc. Vice President and Head of Dual Transformation, Strategy Management, and Business Development Mark Abalos; GCash Vice President and Group Head of New Businesses Winsley Bangit; Mapúa Malayan Digital College Vice President for Sales and Marketing Jenny Chua; iPeople Inc. President and Chief Operating Officer Alfredo Ayala; Fuse Financing Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Isidro; Fuse Financing Inc. Consumer Lending Head Paul Xavier Villa; Fuse Financing Inc. Segment Development Manager Ana Cua (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/GCash) |
In a bold step toward transforming access to quality education, Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC), a flexible online college for working students, and GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance superapp, have partnered to launch a pioneering Study Now, Pay Later program. It is an installment-based tuition payment solution powered by Fuse Financing Inc., the lending arm of GCash, designed to help more Filipino students pursue and complete their college education by reducing the burden of upfront school fees.
MMDC, the premier digital-first college in the Philippines, was the first school to roll out the program on July 7, 2025. With its flexible and industry-relevant learning model, MMDC caters primarily to working students, as well as full-time students, making it the ideal pioneer partner for this forward-thinking initiative. The program has since expanded with the inclusion of Mapúa University, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao, Malayan Colleges Laguna, National Teachers College and University of Nueva Caceres all of which officially launched the initiative on July 9, 2025. The tertiary education participation rate in the Philippines stands at 34.89 percent, falling short of the ASEAN regional average of 41.10 percent, according to a recent report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education. Many students who do enter college struggle to finish their degrees, with high dropout rates often tied to the rising cost of education. To support their studies, students choose to juggle school with work, with more than half of them hustling to gain financial freedom. Tuition fees and other school expenses remain a heavy financial burden for many families, leading students to delay enrollment or settle for less-than-ideal school and program options. This is where MMDC and GCash come in, extending inclusive and fair lending products to those who need financial assistance to achieve their goal of graduating.
With the Study Now, Pay Later program, interested students or parents can pay for tuition fees and other school-related expenses in installments of up to 15 months, with no down payment or processing fees and with affordable interest rates. Customers who are not yet eligible for GGives may still apply and avail themselves of this program via the QR codes found within the vicinity of the respective partner schools. Payments shall all be made through GGives, the installment payment feature of GCash, allowing students and parents to manage the costs conveniently and securely within the app’s ecosystem. “Far too many students in the Philippines are forced to put their dreams on hold, mainly because of financial limitations. With our Study Now, Pay Later program, we aim to ease that burden and help more students unlock the opportunity of a college education. This is another step toward our commitment to fair and inclusive lending, one that empowers the next generation,” said Fuse Financing Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Isidro. Mapúa Malayan Digital College Executive Director Engr. Dennis Tablante added, “We believe that working students shouldn’t have to choose between earning a living and getting a quality education. This partnership with GCash and Fuse gives them a more practical and flexible way to stay in school, reflecting our shared commitment to making college more accessible and sustainable for every Filipino.”
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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/GCash) |
This partnership between MMDC and GCash, as well as the other Mapúa universities, reinforces a shared commitment to building a more inclusive educational ecosystem – one where financial constraints no longer dictate a student’s ability to succeed. With Mapúa Malayan Digital College leading the charge in digital-first, accessible education, and GCash enabling innovative financial solutions, this initiative is poised to reshape the path to college graduation for countless Filipino students.
