PB member hit "excessive" College Fund of university

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — In a privilege speech during the regular session yesterday, a Provincial Board member has expressed lament about the contributions imposed on students by a state-owned Negros Oriental State University in Bayawan City.

PB Member Arnie Teves, president of the Association of Barangay Captains in the province, described the contributions as excessive to poor families who can hardly afford to send their children to college due to poverty.

One of the fees that the students and parents have been complaining about is the College Fund worth P1,000 and the requirement of a field trip outside of the country, which also requires a large sum of money.

Teves said the contributions may be legal but NORSU president, Dr. Don Vicente Real, can disapprove it using his veto powers if he sees it as "excessive."

The College Fund of P1,000 already represents 20 percent of the tuition fee of the university, said Teves who was also surprised to learn of reports that there was no more of such fund to speak of.

Teves also questioned the holding of very expensive field trips. Although optional, students who cannot join the field trip are required to submit projects, the cost of which is the same with the expenses in going to a field trip.  He was informed that parents had to sell their carabaos just to cover the amount for the field trip.

From a businessman's point of view, Teves said this can be a source of a money-making ventures by NORSU, thus he enjoined the PB to help in removing the burden of parents by holding in abeyance the collection of the College fund and the field trip.

The PB, in turn, has invited Real, the members of the Board of Regents and the student government president to the regular session next week to shed light on the concerns raised by Teves.

Earlier, Real had clarified that the College Fund is being handled by the student government itself, and is tightly secured with official receipts issued to students.

The money is intended for the annual foundation day, t-shirts, course uniform and for the external campus, among others, said Real as he promised to run after those who dipped their fingers into the College Fund. (FREEMAN)