CHED: Tuition hike looming in state universities, colleges

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on Thursday that some state universities and colleges (SUCs) have informed them of a possible tuition hike this year.

This developed as the five-year moratorium on tuition increase in SUCs has ended, according to CHED chairman Prospero de Vera III during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education.

“The moratorium for the SUCs and LUCs not to increase their tuition already lapsed in 2022 so the SUCs now, many of the SUCs have already passed board resolution to increase their tuition rates,” De Vera said.

CHED said that it still has to coordinate with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to include the tuition adjustments in the national budget.

“We referred it to DBM because we cannot act on it,” he said.

According to CHED, during the height of the pandemic, many of those who used to study in private schools moved to SUCs and LUCs.

De Vera stressed that one problem is that in 2022 and 2023, there are schools that accept students despite not having enough budget.

Currently, the schools are said to be charging the government an amount of up to P3 billion.

“Kung alam nyo na pala na ganun budget nyo sa GAA 2022 and 2023. Why did you not adjust, bakit patuloy na increase enrollment hoping and believing na babayaran na lang kayo,” Senator Chiz Escudero said.

“4,800 talagang nagko-quota na po ang SUCs pero mataas talaga ang demand,” said the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges.

The committee will hold another hearing to determine how to fund the need of SUCs and LUCs.

In April, the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) appealed for a more "accessible education" amid the proposed tuition fee hikes of some schools.

NUSP spokesperson Joshua Aquiler said that the tuition and other fee increase (TOFI) that some universities want to pass and apply to the CHED ranges from 4% to almost 10%.

During the same month, members of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) also filed petitions for at least a 4% tuition hike due to inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic. —Giselle Ombay/ Sherylin Untalan/VAL, GMA Integrated News