Implementing rules on free college tuition out next month – CHED

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Patricia Licuanan announced on Wednesday that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on the "free tuition law" will

be out next month.

"We expect the IRR to be released in October," Licuanan told a press conference.

Congress had earlier announced that it was able to locate funds for the implementation of Republic Act No. 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act for 2018, amounting to 140 billion.

However, Licuanan said, the CHED might ask the Senate for additional funds for the implementation of the law. "Based on our technical working group, we need at least 151.4 billion to fund this," she said.

She urged Congress to proceed with realigning the funds "very carefully."

Congress leaders said that 130 billion will be taken from the budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) for its School Building Program.

"Congress has to proceed very carefully here," Licuanan said. "This is a very good thing to fund and we all want it funded... but to take from another important program .... The students will also suffer," she said.

Licuanan also emphasized the importance of finding a balance between access and quality education. "Access, if it is not to quality education, is worthless... It has to be access to quality education," she said.

The Free Tuition Law, signed by President Duterte on August 3, will “grant free tuition and other fees for students” in state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as local universities and colleges (LUCs) and technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).