Tuition free in SUCs, LUCs
Duterte signs into law Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act
President Duterte has signed into law Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which grants free tuition to all students enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), and state-run technical-vocational institutions in the country.
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno had earlier recommended a veto of the measure, saying the government cannot afford to shoulder its cost estimated to be around 1100 billion.
“So, we weighed everything and came to the conclusion that the longterm benefits that will be derived from a well-developed tertiary education on the part of the citizenry will definitely outweigh any short-term budgetary challenges,” Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said during the Mindanao Hour press briefing Friday morning, explaining the President’s decision to sign RA 10931 into law.
The Palace official said that whether or not economic managers are for the passing of the bill, the more important thing now is to find the budgetary allocation for the program.
“Everyone, including the economic managers, will have to focus their attention on funding for this program because this will have to be implemented soon,” Guevarra said, adding that the free tuition law will be implemented during the next school year.
Since the government has already submitted the proposed 2018 national budget to Congress, Guevarra said that certain adjustments can still be made so allocation for the law can be made.
“That is really the principal responsibility of Congress when they deliberate on the budget. Right now, I have nothing very specific to say about which projects or which programs or which agency's proposed budget might be affected,” he said.
“If Congress is really serious in finding the appropriate funding for this free tuition program, they will have to find the necessary sources for this particular program,” he added.
Guevarra also addressed the estimate of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that 1100 billion would be needed to implement the free tuition law.
“The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) thinks otherwise. The 1100-billion estimate of the DBM seems to be on the very high side because that is on the basis (or) on the assumption that all aspects of the free tuition bill will be implemented all at the same time,” he said.
The CHED estimated that 134.1 billion would be needed for the implementation of the law, a cornerstone of President Duterte’s social development policy.
According to Guevarra, the government will only have to spend on the mandatory provisions of the bill which includes tuition and miscellaneous fees which would need around 116 billion.
The related educational expenses like books and boarding will be shouldered for “deserving 20 percent” by the CHED's Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) program.
“As far as I know, those are the only mandatory provisions of the bill for now – the free tuition and other fees. Other fees would refer to something like library fees, ID fees, laboratory fees, and stuff like that,” Guevarra explained.
“Now, as to the subsidy for related educational expenses, that is something to be processed by the UniFAST board which is supposed to have a system of priority,” he said, adding that the fund and system under the UniFAST are yet to be established.
“In other words, 'yung mga talagang nangangailangan, the bottom 20 percent, will be prioritized in terms of subsidy for educational-related expenses,” he added.
Who are covered? Under RA 10931, all Filipino students who are either currently enrolled at the time this law takes effect or will enroll at any time thereafter, in courses in pursuance of a bachelor's degree, certificate degree, or any comparable undergraduate degree in any SUC and LUC will be exempt from paying tuition and other school fee for units enrolled in.
However, the students must have passed the entrance examination and other admission and retention requirements of the SUC and LUC.
The law mandates SUCs and LUCs to create a mechanism to enable students with the financial capacity to pay for their education to voluntarily opt out of the tuition and other school fees subsidy or make a contribution to the school which will then be reported to CHED.
Exceptions
RA 10931 listed students who have already attained a bachelor's degree or comparable undergraduate degree, whether from public or private institutions, as ineligible to avail themselves of the free tertiary education.
Students who fail to comply with the admission and retention policies of the SUC or LUC are also ineligible, as well as students who fail to complete their undergraduate degree within a year after the period prescribed in their program.
Also ineligible are students with bachelor's degree and those with certificate or diploma for a technicalvocational course equivalent to at least National Certificate III and above.
Students who fail in any course enrolled during the course of the program are also ineligible.
Ineligible students will be charged the tuition and other school fees as determined by their respective SUCs and LUCs.
Funding
House Committee on Appropriations chairman Rep. Karlo Nograles (1st District, Davao City) assured that funding for the free education of students could reach as high as 116 billion for 2018 and that the national government would be able to tweak the budget for 2018 to implement the government's free college education program.
The government has earmarked 18 billion for 2017 for the higher education support fund.
Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, assured that the panel will look for ways to ensure that the new law will be sufficiently funded under the proposed 13.767-trillion national budget.
Legarda urged the DBM, being the agency that crafts the budget, to take part in the drafting of the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) of the law.
The CHED insisted that the government’s coffers have enough resources to provide free tuition fees in the country’s SUCs.
Victory for the youth
Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III described as a "great day for Philippine Education" the unprecedented move of President Duterte in signing into law the bill that provides free tuition in SUCs as well as in technical-vocational institutions.
“Now there is no excuse for our youth not to go to school and be a college grad(uate),” Senator Miguel Zubiri said in a social media post.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, co-author of the Senate version of the bill and vicechairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, said he is "glad and thankful" to the President for signing the bill, adding it was a "great victory for the youth."
Senate Committee on Education chair Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he believes the bill granting full government subsidy to tuition in SUCs would be “one of the lasting legacies” of the Duterte administration.
Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, one of those who authored the measure, also expressed his gratitude to the President for signing it into law “despite some advising him to veto it.”
Sen. Nancy Binay, for her part, said the Senate is committed to work handin-hand with the DBM to ensure funding for its implementation.
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said he is all but “very, very happy” for the poor but deserving students studying in the SUCs. (With reports from Hannah L. Torregoza, Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola, Yas D. Ocampo, and Ellson A. Quismorio)