Tuition hike approved for 1,200 elementary, high schools
The Department of Education ( DepEd) approved the applications of more than 1,200 private elementary and high schools to increase tuition and other fees, just days after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved tuition hike in 313 private higher education institutions (HEIs).
As of yesterday, DepEd said 1,246 out of 1,556 private elementary and high schools were allowed to impose tuition hike.
DepEd said the highest request for tuition increase is pegged at 29 percent, while the lowest is at 1.25 percent. But it did not release the average cost of increases that it allowed for
the incoming academic year.
The number of schools whose tuition hike applications were allowed represents 7.87 percent of the more than 15,800 private elementary and high schools across the country.
The bulk of the increases came from Region IV-A, with 264 out of 270 applications approved. Region III has the highest number of applications with 493, but only 257 were approved.
All applications were approved in Regions II (51), V (70), VI (110), VII (170), VIII (19), IX (4) and XII (30).
A total of 132 out of 168 applications were approved in Region I, while 139 out of 171 applications were approved in Metro Manila. DepEd has yet to release data from other regions. According to DepEd assistant secretary Jesus Mateo, their regional offices have followed the procedures and guidelines in approving tuition and other fee increases.
He said schools were required to submit necessary documents including their financial statements, as well as hold consultations with stakeholders, before an application for tuition increase is approved.
CHED: Tuition hike reasonable
The CHED also maintained that the approved increase in tuition and other fees in 313 private HEIs is reasonable and has gone through the process.
CHED executive director Julito Vitriolo said the commission has thoroughly looked into the applications for tuition increase before it decided to finalize the hike.
“We believe that so far, this is a better process than before because we now have a reasonableness test,” Vitriolo said in Filipino.
In addition to the application process at the regional level, CHED’s central office reviewed the process to ensure that the regional offices and the HEIs have followed the regulation.
The CHED decried being dubbed as a “stamp pad” for tuition and other fee increases. Vitriolo said that there are instances when they have found unjust requests for hikes and pegged these to the determined deflator rates per province.
CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan maintained that the commission has adhered to the policy and procedures governing tuition fee increases when CHED approved the applications.
She said this takes into account regional inflation rate; financial standing of the institution; financial capacity of the general studentry; impact of force majeure or calamities; quality track record of the school; and the mission and vision of the institution.
But Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is not convinced. She filed yesterday a resolution calling for a Senate inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the tuition hike.
“A school can always say that it increased the faculty’s wages, renovated a building, or bought new computers, but how does it support such claims?” the senator said.
“The CHED has issued guidelines for the use of funds derived from tuition increases, but we need to know how they ensure compliance with these rules. Is the submission of documentary requirements enough? Should there be onsite inspections?” she added.
Bill seeks to include tuition in tax deduction
Meanwhile, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara filed a bill that seeks to include tuition and related expenses as allowable deduction in computing taxable income.
“Given the limitation of government financial assistance such as scholarship grants and student loans, tax deduction is an effective way of helping the poor and underprivileged,” Angara yesterday told reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel in Manila.
He noted that in Malaysia, Thailand and United States, tuition and other educational expenses are deductible from income tax of taxpayers.
Angara’s Senate Bill 2228 aims to amend section 14 of the National Internal Code of the Philippines to allow payment for tertiary education tuition and other education expenses not exceeding P40,000 as tax deduction from the gross of the individual taxpayers.
Under the proposed bill, deductions of up to four dependents for tertiary education, which include post secondary courses from higher education and technical and vocational institution, must be claimed by only one of the spouses in case of married individuals.
The National Youth Commission (NYC), on the other hand, urged students and other stakeholders to report cases of dubious consultations on school fee increases to ensure that their welfare is protected.
“There is also no clear mechanism on how students can oppose increase in tuition and other fees. Students need to be protected when they are denied services in the school due to unpaid school fees,” NYC chairperson Gio Tingson said.