Free tertiary education seen in 2nd semester

Students are expected to enjoy free education in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs) and government-run technical-vocational schools in the second semester of this school year, senators said yesterday.

Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the Senate education committee, and Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said they hope President Duterte will sign the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act this month, which was ratified by both chambers of Congress earlier this week.

Aquino, one of the authors of the bill, said it was agreed upon in the bicameral conference committee that the measure be implemented this coming second semester.

“We’re hoping that by November or second semester, tuition and other fees will now be free in SUCs, LUCs,” he said.

Other authors of the bill are Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senators Sonny Angara, Leila de Lima, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Since this year’s budget was already approved, Escudero and Legarda said Congress may either approve a supplemental budget of about P20 billion to cover the second semester or make it accounts payable for the 2018 national budget.

As one of its major salient points, the measure prohibits SUCs, LUCs and government tech-voc schools from collecting other fees from students, making tertiary education totally free for underprivileged students.

Gatchalian believes the measure is expected to benefit some five million students in SUCs, LUCs, tech-voc schools and those enrolled in private universities and colleges.

There are over two million students in SUCs, LUCs and tech-voc schools, and about the same in private higher educational institutions.

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