UP: No tuition and other school fees will be collected this semester

The University of the Philippines announced Tuesday that no tuition and other school fees will be collected this semester by the entire UP system.

UP President Danilo Concepcion announced the decision in a memorandum released August 7 that outlines "supplemental guidelines on tuition and other fees assessment and collection for this school year" with regards to Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

While RA 10931 will not take effect until 2018, the memo "implements the spirit of Sections 4 and 6 of RA 10931, which provides for the coverage as well as exceptions to the non-collection of tuition and other school fees."

All Filipino undergraduate students are covered by the memorandum except for those who already hold undergraduate or bachelor’s degrees, failed to meet admission and retention rules, or exceeded the maximum residency requirement.

Students must still undergo the normal registration procedures to avail of this privilege.

Those not covered by the benefits of the law may apply for scholarships or financial assistance under the existing Socialized Tuition System of the university.

Medicine and law students are also not covered by RA 10931 but medicine students may avail tuition subsidy through the Tulong Medisina program as provided in CHED-DBM [Commission on Higher Education-Department of Budget and Management] Joint Memorandum Circular 2017-4.

Students who wish to contribute to the university by paying their tuition and miscellaneous school fees will also be given a voluntary opt-out provision. —Rie Takumi/KG/KVD, GMA News