UP system scraps tuition collection for Academic Year 2017-2018

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:29 p.m.) — The University of the Philippines announced that no tuition and other school fees will be collected in all campuses of the premier state university a few days after President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

On Monday, UP president Danilo Concepcion released a memo outlining the supplemental guidelines on tuition and other fees for Academic Year 2017-2018 in light of Republic Act 10931.

READ: Duterte signs bill granting free SUC tuition into law

According to the memo, all Filipino undergraduate students will be exempted from tuition collection except for those who already hold an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree, those who fail to meet admission and retention rules and those who exceed the maximum residency requirement.

These students, however, may apply for financial assistance or discounts under the university's Socialized Tuition System (STS).

Students who have the financial capacity may voluntarily pay tuition and other fees as their contribution to the university.

Graduate students, including students of law and medicine, are not covered by the provisions.

Graduate students may apply for scholarship while law and medicine students may apply for tuition and other fee subsidies under the STS.

"Students of medicine may avail of tuition subsidy under the CHED DBM Joint Memorandum Circular 2017-4," the memo read.

Qualified students will still have to undergo the prescribed registration procedures to avail of the privilege under RA 10931.

The process for refund will be addressed in separate guidelines for those who are qualified but have already paid.

On August 2, Concepcion reversed the earlier announcement of UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan that the assessment and payment of fees will be suspended indefinitely. The announcement sparked student protests in UP's campuses. — Patricia Lourdes Viray