CHED helpless against high miscellaneous fees — Palace

College students and their parents may have to cope with the possibility of unregulated hikes in miscellaneous fees for the coming school year, Malacañang admitted over the weekend. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that while the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will require consultations for miscellaneous fee hikes, these will still take effect next year. "Schools that plan to hike tuition will have to consult their students, alumni and faculty before getting CHED’s approval. CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan has issued an order requiring similar consultations in hiking miscellaneous fees but that order may not take effect this coming school year. It may take effect next year,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. “Sinasabi ng CHED lagi wala ho tayong control (or) regulation pagdating sa pagtaas ng miscellaneous fees (Until that takes effect, the CHED had always said we cannot control or regulate miscellaneous fees),” she added. On the other hand, earlier reports said at least 300 schools have sought permission from the CHED to hike their fees for this coming school year, 2012-2013. Valte sought to downplay this, saying the 300 schools are a small part of 2,000 higher education institutions in the country. Besides, she said the schools cannot charge higher tuition until the CHED allows them to. Also, CHED requires schools to inform and get inputs from students, alumni and faculty for the proposed increase “I think out of 2,000 higher education institutions, only 300 are asking permission to raise tuition. The hike would not be imposed by the applicants until they get a permit from the CHED,” she said. She said the CHED could only maintain a guideline on what is reasonable. Earlier reports said the CHED issued new guidelines that would enhance the existing CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) 13 that has been in effect since 1998. The new guidelines reportedly require the inclusion of miscellaneous fees in the consultations. Student groups had accused school owners of "disguising" tuition hikes through miscellaneous fees. However, the reports said the enhanced CMO will only be implemented in school year 2013-14. — LBG, GMA News