The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was established by virtue of Republic Act No. 7722 otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994, which was signed into law on May 18, 1994. The creation of the Commission abolished the Bureau of Higher Education and confined the jurisdiction of the Department of Education (DepEd) to elementary and secondary levels of education. The CHED is under the Office of the President. It covers both public and private higher educational institutions as well as the degree granting programs in all postsecondary educational institutions. Pursuant to Republic Act No. 7722, the CHED is mandated to: a. promote quality education; b. broaden access to higher education; c. protect academic freedom for continuing intellectual growth; and d. ensure advancement of learning and research.