STUDENT groups led by the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and Kabataan Partylist denounced the Commission on Higher Education’s token move to regulate tuition increases and continuing to be a “literal stamp pad” for unabated tuition hikes.
“Year after year, CHED fails to implement tuition regulation policies, in effect serving as a mere stamp pad for pre-approved fee hikes,” said Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino.
On March 21, CHED-NCR reconvened the Regional Multisectoral Committee on Tuition and Other Fees (RMCTOF), a committee composed of representatives from public and private universities, faculty unions, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and NUSP.
Though existing for years, CHED seldom convenes the committee, with the last meeting taking place way back in 2006.
“In response to the growing clamor against unabated tuition hikes, CHED has reconvened the committee whose primary task is to monitor compliance on tuition increase regulations. Yet, it is a belated move. Consultations on proposed fee increases in various colleges and universities are over,” said NUSP Spokesperson Sheryl Alapad, who represented NUSP in the said meeting.
Impending tuition hikes
CHED revealed in the March 21 RMCTOF meeting that there are currently 95 applications for tuition hikes in Metro Manila for the next academic year, as follows:
92 HEIs filed intent to increase tuition and other fees in all levels
1 HEI filed intent to increase miscellaneous fees and other fees
1 HEI filed intent to implement new fees
1 HEI filed intent to increase tuition fees for incoming freshmen
CHED-NCR did not disclose the data for other regions. Last academic year, CHED received over 2,000 applications for tuition increases nationwide, of which almost 300 were approved.
In the RMCTOF meeting, CHED said it would look into complaints filed by student groups against bogus tuition increase consultations, but did not promise any tangible results.
Last March 8, NUSP filed a complaint to CHED, detailing how top schools like the University of Sto. Tomas, Adamson University, and the University of the East conduct “bogus consultations” on tuition increases.
In the complaint, NUSP questioned the tuition hike proposals of the following universities, among others:
• University of Sto. Tomas: 5-percent tuition hike
• University of the East-Recto: 5-percent tuition hike
• Lyceum University of the Philippines: 5-percent tuition hike
• University of the East-Caloocan: 3.5-percent tuition hike
• Colegio de San Juan de Letran: 8 to 10-percent tuition hike
• De La Salle University-Araneta: 5-percent tuition hike
• Adamson University: 10-percent tuition hike
Last year, CHED has released Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 3, Series of 2012, wherein it stated stricter guidelines for the imposition of new and higher fees. The said memorandum explicitly requires schools to inform students of impending hikes, and conduct consultations before passing their proposal to the commission.
‘No mechanism to ensure compliance’
“Alongside this revelation, CHED admitted that it has no mechanism to ensure that schools comply with the minimum standards set by CHED Memo No. 3, series of 2012 for tuition consultations. CHED even asked students to conduct independent monitoring groups. This goes to show how inutile CHED policies on tuition regulation are,” Alapad said.
Students have until April 1 to file more complaints regarding schools that violate tuition regulations. “we encourage students to file complaints, as CHED apparently has no way to know if schools are violating tuition hike rules if we don’t report these cases,” Alapad said. “Student groups are encouraged to get in touch with NUSP’s Tuition Monitor Network for us to compile all cases and submit it to CHED,” she added.
In the RMCTOF meeting, NUSP also proposed for a blanket tuition and other fee increase moratorium while CHED is rebuilding its mechanism to monitor fee hikes. “We proposed for a tuition moratorium for the next academic year but CHED-NCR immediately backed down, saying that it’s not feasible. This shows how spineless CHED is when it comes to battling tuition hikes,” Alapad said.
“Clearly, the tuition regulation committee reconvened by CHED is just for show. The commission continues to be a useless paper tiger when it comes to tuition hikes,” Palatino said. “And that is why we need to enact laws that would truly halt the unabated and unjustified tuition hikes in the country,” he added.
In 2011, Palatino has filed House Bill 3708, which seeks for a three-year moratorium on tuition increases and states that any funds needed by public educational institutions during the said period should be shouldered by the government.
“CHED’s lackadaisical attitude towards implementing tuition increase regulations has largely contributed to the unabated tuition hikes in the country and the suffering of hundreds of thousands of students and families that cannot afford the skyrocketing cost of education,” Palatino said.
“The case of UP Manila student Kristel Tejada has only proved that education in the Philippines has become a commodity that only the rich can afford. Stricter regulation should be implemented and anti-student tuition policies should be scrapped immediately,” the youth solon called.