DAVAO CITY—The Commission on Higher Education on Thursday allowed the increase for tuition and other school fees for a total of 304 out of the 1,659 private higher education institutions (HEIs) nationwide for the school year starting next week.
Of that number, 280 private HEIs or 17 percent will increase their tuition fees while 252 private HEIS or 15 percent will increase other school fees. In the same figure, 228 private HEIs of the 304 will increase both their tuition and other school fees.
According to CHED, the average tuition hike is pegged at P43.39 per unit, equivalent to 5.10 percentage increase while other school fees was pegged at P115.58 or up to 5.41 percent increase or P115.58.
CHED Chairperson Paticia Licuanan, however, said that considering the total population of private HEIs, the average increase in tuition or other school fees nationwide is less than 1 percent—0.86 percent in tuition increases and 0.82 percent in other school fees increase.
The National Capital Region once again recorded the highest increase in tuition fees, with the average cost per unit at P68.44 or 5 percent, followed by Calabarzon with P23.39 average cost per unit increase or 6.14 percent and P33.41 average cost per unit increase or 6.14 percent for Region III.
For other school fees, the increases are P57.52 or 5.14 percent for NCR, P138.36 or 3.22 percent for Region IV-A and P487.71 or 5.28 percent for Region III.
“CHED’s approach to the issue of tuition is holistic. In the light of contending concerns and interests in society, there is a need to balance access issues with sustainability of educational institutions. For its part, CHED ensures that HEIs meet the guidelines provided by law, especially the requirement of consultation, the proper allocation of tuition fees, and strict adherence with the processes that seek to make tuition and other school fee increases transparent, reasonable and affordable,” Licuanan said.
The Education Department had earlier announced that a total of 1,232 of the total 12,072 private elementary and secondary schools all over the country will be raising their tuition fees for the incoming school year.
The new tuition fees however, was still met by opposition from youth and student groups.
“With this new set of increase in tuition and other fees, CHED exposed itself again as an institution that caters to the interests of profit-seeking capitalist-educators while betraying the youth’s right to education,” said LFS national secretary-general Aries Gupit.
“This is horrendous – a crime on top of another crime. First, there is K to 12 that forces students to enroll in private schools and now, tuition hikes are approved. This is unacceptable.”
“We maintain that there is no justifiable and acceptable amount of tuition increase. We also stressed the need to junk all other school fees which are largely dubious, exorbitant, and redundant in nature.,” Gupit added.
Gupit noted that the relentless annual tuition increases must be stopped, adidng that annual increases in matriculation under the Aquino administration have already doubled the national average tuition rate from 30 to 50 thousand pesos in 2010 into 60 to 100 thousand pesos in 2015.
Incoming Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago meanwhile called for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to order a tuition moratorium immediately upon assuming office.
“We challenge President Duterte to issue an executive order that will, in the short term, effectively and swiftly impose a tuition increase moratorium for the incoming school year. Ordering a blanket tuition moratorium is the least the government could do to help ease the burden of students and their parents. It is doable, it is possible,” Elago said.
The incoming legislator noted that former President Gloria Arroyo did the same thing back in 2008, though the order was issued well into the enrolment period and only covered state schools. Arroyo’s order also contained an appeal to private schools not to increase tuition that year.
“Issuing an executive order to freeze tuition hikes is an immediate relief for students. However, we must emphasize that this is not the only thing the incoming Duterte administration can do. If the government really has the heart to address the growing economic burden posted by soaring tuition rates, then it needs to address the extant policy of education deregulation,” Elago said.