Exploring Post-Graduation Perspectives of Recipients of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act via Association Rule Mining: A Case Study

The Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) Act is designed to ensure equal educational opportunities for all Filipinos irrespective of their economic circumstances. However, a review of the legislation has highlighted a significant gap: the absence of structured post-graduation support for new graduates. In response, this study investigated the post-graduation plans and aspirations of tertiary students from Bicol University to understand the intentions of UAQTE beneficiaries and inform potential amendments to the UAQTE that are aligned closely with the needs and perspectives of the students it serves. To achieve this objective, this study hence provided an in-depth analysis of the demographic profile and post-graduation intentions of students from five baccalaureate programs offered at Bicol University. The survey data was collected from 408 respondents with the gender distribution as predominantly cis-women (270), followed by cis-men (94), with smaller representations from non-binary individuals (23) and those who prefer not to disclose their gender (21). Academic representation was most significant from students in BS Secondary Education (118) and BS Nursing (112), with substantial participation from BS Entrepreneurship (64), BS Information Technology (58), and BS Accountancy (56). The socioeconomic analysis revealed a substantial number of students falling into the "low" (95) and "poor" (183) income categories which illustrated significant economic challenges among the respondents. Upon analysis of the post-graduation intentions of the participants, it was uncovered that students generally preferred to seek employment close to home while a significant number are also considering opportunities abroad, particularly among nursing students. Interestingly, the data strongly suggested an underrepresentation of entrepreneurial intentions particularly among students from lower economic backgrounds, pointing to a potential gap in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset within the university curriculum. As a recommendation, this research emphasizes the need for policy interventions and curriculum adjustments to more effectively cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among students particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.