Frequently

Asked Questions
about NSTP
1. What is the
National Service
Training Program
Law?
 The National Service Training Program
(NSTP) Law as embodied in Republic Act 9163
is a program aimed at enhancing civic
consciousness and defense preparedness in the
youth by developing the ethics of service and
patriotism while undergoing training in any of
it’s three program components specifically
designed to enhance the youth’s active
contribution to the general welfare.
2. What are the
Program components
of the NSTP?
a. The Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC)
Is designed to provide military training to
tertiary level students in order to motivate, train,
organize and mobilize them for national defense
preparedness.

b. The Literacy Training Service (LTS)

Is designed to train the students to teach
literacy and numeracy skills to school children, out-
of-school youth and other segments of society in
need of their services.
c. The Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)
refers to activities contributory to the
general welfare and the betterment of life for
the members of the community or the
enhancement of it’s facilities, especially those
who developed to improving health, education,
environment, entrepreneurship, safety,
recreation and moral of the citizenry and
other social welfare services.
3. Who shall
take the NSTP?
 All incoming freshmen students,
male and female enrolled in any
baccalaureate and in at least two year
technical-vocational or associate
courses, are required to complete one
NSTP component of their choice as a
graduation requirement.
4. How will the
NSTP be taken
up?
 Each of the NSTP
components shall be undertaken
for an academic period of two
(2) semesters and credited for
three (3) units per semesters
with 54 to 90 training hours
per semester.
5. What if the NSTP
cannot be taken up
during the regular
semester?
 A one (1) summer-program in
lieu of the two (2) semester-
program may be designed,
formulated and adopted by DND,
CHED and TESDA subject to the
capability of the school and AFP to
handle the same.
6. What if the NSTP
program component
chosen by a student is
not offered in his/her
school?
 Schools that do not meet the required number of
students in order to conduct a program component or
do not offer the component chosen by their students
shall allow them to cross-enroll to other schools
irrespective of whether that school is under CHED or
TESDA and for ROTC, whether they are managed by
different AFP branches of service.

These students however, shall be subjected to the

existing rules and regulations of their original school
and the accepting school.
7. Are currently-
enrolled students
covered by the
NSTP?
 Male students currently
enrolled but have not taken any
program component of the
previous Expanded ROTC (E-
ROTC)/National Service
Program (NSP) are covered by
the NSTP.
8. Will a student who has
not completed all the
academic requirements of
his course except ROTC be
allowed to graduate?
 A student who has not
completed all his academic
requirements except for ROTC will
be allowed to graduate provided
that he is a certified candidate by
the school on or before the
effectivity of the NSTP which is
March 23,2002.
9. What if a male
student has completed
two semesters of E-
ROTC/NSP?
 He is deemed to have
complied with the NSTP
requirement.
10. What if a male student
has only taken one (1)
semester of Basic ROTC
and E-ROTC/NSP?
 He shall take one more
semester of any of the
NSTP components to
qualify for graduation.
11. What will
become of NSTP
Graduates?
 Graduates of the non-ROTC
components shall belong to the
National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC)
that could be tapped by the state for
literacy and civic welfare activities.
Graduates of ROTC component shall
form only part of the AFP Citizen
Armed Force, subject to DND
requirements.
12. How can a student
continue to qualify for
enlistment in the AFP
Reserve Force?
 He/She may qualify for
enlistment in the AFP
Reserve Force as long as
he/she has completed the
two (2) semesters of Basic
ROTC.
13. How much fee
will be charged for
an NSTP
Component?
No fees shall be collected for any
of the NSTP component except
basic tuition fees, which should not
be more than fifty percent (50%)
of the charges of the school per
academic unit.
14. What student
incentives can be
provided by the
NSTP?
The following incentives to students are to be provided
when they take up NSTP:
• A program of assistance/incentives for ROTC
students from DND which will be in accordance with
existing law and regulations and subject to the
availability of funds.
• School authorities concerned, CHED and TESDA shall
ensure that health and accident group insurances are
provided to students enrolled in any of the NSTP
components.
• A special scholarship program for qualified NSTP
shall be administered by CHED and TESDA subject to
the availability of funds.
15. Who is responsible
for supervising the
NSTP?
 School authorities shall exercise
academic and administrative supervision
over the design, formulation, adoption and
implementation of the different NSTP
components in their respective schools.

In the case of ROTC, the school

authorities and DND shall exercise joint
supervision over it’s implementation.
16. What lead
agencies will monitor
the implementation
of the NSTP?
 CHED Regional Offices, TESDA
Provincial and District Offices and
the DND-AFP through the major
Service Reserve Commands and
their ROTC Units shall oversee if
the trainings conducted are in
consonance with the Republic Act.
17. Is the NSTP
available in all
schools and
universities?
 All Higher and Technical
Vocational Educational Institutions
shall be offering at least one (1) of
the NSTP components, while State
Universities and Colleges will offer
the ROTC component at least one
other NSTP component.