MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has approved the applications of 313 private higher education institutions (HEIs) to increase tuition and other school fees for the incoming academic year, slightly higher than the number approved last year.
CHED Chairman Patricia Licuanan said in a statement that of the 313 schools, 283 HEIs were allowed to increase tuition while another 212 would increase other fees.
The data meant that 182 schools were allowed to increase both tuition and other school fees.
An official list has yet to be released as the full commission still has to formally approve the recommendation of the CHED office of student services.
Last year, CHED allowed 287 HEIs to increase their tuition and other fees.
Despite the slightly higher number, Licuanan said that the average increases were lower than those of last year.
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She said the approved increases in tuition have an average of P29.86 per unit or a 6.17 percent hike, while the increases in other school fees have an average of P135.60 or a 6.55 percent hike.
The numbers were down from last year’s average increase of P35.66 per unit on tuition and P141.55 on other school fees.
CHED did not approve any application to increase tuition and other school fees in Eastern Visayas, which was heavily affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
No increases will be imposed in Regions 2, 5, 7 and 10 as no applications were submitted to CHED.
According to Licuanan, CHED adhered to its policy and procedures governing tuition increases in approving the applications.
She said this takes into account regional inflation rate, financial standing of the institution, financial capacity of the general studentry, impact of force majeure or calamities, quality track record of the school and the mission and vision of the institution.
“CHED’s approach to the issue of tuition is wholistic. In the light of contending concerns and interests in society, there is a need to balance access issues with sustainability of educational institutions,” said Licuanan.
“For its part, CHED ensures that HEIs meet the guidelines provided by law, especially the requirement of consultation, the allocation of tuition and strict adherence with the processes that seek to make tuition and other school fee increases transparent, reasonable and affordable,” she added.
The chairman said that CHED is currently working on a framework on tuition regulation.
“This year it strictly applied an ‘education deflator’ which measures the average cost of providing education services. This framework will be further strengthened and applied in the coming years to guide the commission,” she said.
Assistance to students
According to Licuanan, CHED has allotted more than P1.5 billion to finance more than 123,000 student financial assistance program slots to deserving students enrolled in private and public HEIs.
She said that this is on top of the over 40,000 students enrolled under the Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation with a budget of P2.5 billion.
“These students belong to the poorest of the poor families identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development under its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,” said Licuanan.
She also supported the passage of the proposed Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Higher and Technical Education (UniFAST) bill, which seeks to harmonize and unify government scholarship and grants-in-aid programs
She said the bill, pending before the Senate, will promote equity and rationalize access to quality higher and technical education among those in need.
Noy, CHED slammed
Meanwhile, the National Union of Students of the Philippines scored the CHED and the Aquino administration for failing to stop the rising cost of tuition in HEIs.
“Students and parents have had enough of CHED and Noynoy Aquino’s negligence and inaction over skyrocketing yearly tuition and other school fees. CHED and Aquino remain numb and irresponsible as to the growing statistics of dropout and out-of-school youths in the country brought about by the high cost of matriculation and other school fees and by the backlogs of the K to 12 program,” NUSP national president Sarah Elago said.
“CHED’s approval of a new round of tuition and other school fees increases guarantee super profit for capitalist educators. On the other hand, students and parents suffer due to the irresponsibility of CHED and the Aquino government in stopping these fee hikes,” she said.
The NUSP last staged last week a Flores de Mayo protest in front of the CHED office in Quezon City to complain about various education issues hounding the country.
Student leaders wore gowns and sashes and carried arches as they paraded and played the roles of Reyna Kawalang Hustisya, Reyna Dagdag Bayarin, Reyna EmperaTIIS, Reyna Elena Makabayad ng Matrikula and Empress Ki to 12 as a symbolic and satirical protest against pressing issues including tuition and other fee increases and the K to 12 program.
The queens and empresses represented injustice, additional exorbitant school fees, impunity regarding the high dropout and out-of-school youth rates, high cost of tuition and the ill-conceived K to 12 program of the Aquino administration, said NUSP. –Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star)
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