Don’t allow tuition increase, studes tell govt

MANILA, Philippines - Student groups called on the government Tuesday, not to allow tuition increase in state universities and colleges (SUCs) next school year after the budget for public higher education institutions (HEIs) was raised by 10 percent in 2015.

Leaders of the National Union of Students of the Philippines-Metro Manila (NUSP-Metro Manila) and Rise for Education-Metro Manila said based on the 2015 General Appropriations Act, which is currently being deliberated in Congress, SUCs will receive more than P15.37 billion in 2015 from P12.58 billion this year.

Rise for Education-Metro Manila spokesperson Teddy James Angeles said despite budget increase, tuition fees in SUCs continue to increase to an average of 300 percent annually.

“In case of students from Technological University of the Philippines system (TUP), there’s a continuous collection of unsettled Development Fee despite the increased budget for the said school. The four campus-strong TUP system has increased its tuition from P50 per unit last 2012 to P150 per unit this 2014,” he said.

“It is but reasonable to challenge the Aquino administration to mandate school administrations to cut back tuition and to end the collection of exorbitant fees such as development fee,” he added.

NUSP-Metro Manila spokesperson Rechil Paglinawan said public HEIs continue to collect development fees, which was previously declared as illegal by the Commission on Higher Education.

“It is but logical that there should be a cutback on tuition because it is clear that SUCs received an increase in government subsidy. If not, what would be the sense of the allocation and its increase? Or where would it go?” Paglinawan said.