CHED to Implement Free Tuition This School Year

College students enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) nationwide would no longer have to pay for tuition and miscellaneous fees starting this school year, according to Executive Director Carmelita Y. Sison of the Commission on Higher Education’s Unified Student Financial Assistance System (UniFAST).

Sison, who was the guest of honor and speaker during the UniFAST forum conducted in Nueva Vizcaya, said students enrolled in CHED-accredited  local universities and colleges (LUCs) and  in Technical Education and Skills Development Authority(TESDA)-accredited institutions are also covered by the  government’s free college tuition law.

She said that students enrolled in private higher education institutions may also avail of tertiary education subsidy covering tuition and other school fees, while a student loan program will also be established for Filipino students to further support the cost of tertiary education.

Sison, however, clarified that the students can only avail of free tuition fee for School Year 2018-2019 provided that they met all the the admission and retention requirements of their respective institutions.

Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Education Act, students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree or comparable undergraduate degree from any public or private Higher Education Institute are ineligible to avail of the free tuition as well as those students who failed to comply with the admission and/or retention policies.

Students who voluntarily opt out of the free higher education is also not eligible.

The executive director said the decision of the student to voluntarily opt out must be made during the enrollment period for each semester and shall be considered final and irrevocable, however, students who opt out will be allowed to change their decision in subsequent semester.

She added that students who availed of the program and who are considered “Scholar ng Bayan” are required to participate in activities like community immersion and putting up of livelihood projects or projects that can help the community. (ALM/GBV/PIA-2 Cagayan)