4,310 UP students, mostly in Diliman campus, appeal their socialized tuition bracketing

Some 4,310 students of the University of the Philippines have appealed their Socialized Tuition System (STS) bracketing, according to the UP STS director as shown by the transcript of a university forum released earlier this week.

 

Director Richard Gonzalo said his office has resolved 586 of the 4,310 appeals as of midday of July 9. Most of the appeals were made by students at the Diliman campus.

 

"So far ang nag-log in na sa amin ay 38,539 students. So, ang hinihintay nalang namin ay 1,000-2,000 students na pumasok sa system," Gonzalo said.

 

He also said 35,994 UP students applied for STS tuition discounts while 3,262 did not.

 

The UP STS director gave his update of the STS implementation in a forum with UP students last July 9.

 

University Student Council (USC) chairperson Arjay Mercado moderated the forum.

'All UP students are subsidized'

Gonzalo addressed the criticisms against the new program that replaced the STFAP or Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program.

 

He said the application process was simplified to encourage more students to apply instead of sticking to the old way of requiring all applicants to present documents indicating proof of income.

 

"Nung ginawa 'yung STS pinatanggal na yung pagka-jaded ng implementors at students. So ang resulta ay papadaliin mo yung sistema to encourage them to file the right information. That was the philosophy bakit hindi na humingi ng additional documents. You don?t need to prove – just declare," Gonzalo said.

 

Based on the 2013 UP budget, the subsidy per UP student is P118,000. 

 

"Yung P118,000 doesn't only cover cost of tuition. In UP kasi malaki ang cost for research, activities ng faculty members ng UP, and extension programs as public service," the university official said.

 

The STS website asks applicants to declare their household income and submit data required online. 

 

"Kapag hindi nagtugma yung ineexpect mong support, you file an appeal online din. Ang appeal sa STS is not about awa, you specify your household circumstances we have to consider," Gonzalo said.

 

"The questionnaire is a generic questionnaire and is not specific. Sa appeal na pumapasok yung specifics...Nawalan ng trabaho mga magulang mo. Kaya sa appeal kailangan lang i-update yung specifics. That?s easy to resolve given na hindi na siya umaakyat sa committee plus no additional documents to pass," he added.

 

In some cases, interviews are needed to clarify what the student wants. "Kung malinaw kung ano yung hinihingi at mabibigay naman, mabibigay naman sa estudyante," the STS director said.

Excerpts
 

Here are some transcript excerpts from the question-and-answer portion of the STS forum:

 

USC Chairperson Mercado: If yung first part ng application was analyzed, ano daw po 'yung purpose ng open question?

 

Prof. Gonzalo: May quantitative part muna ng question tapos may open question para ma-analyze yung qualitative part. Sinisift namin yung data for example, sa remarks, nilalabas ng mga estudyante na they were affected by Yolanda, etc or even medical conditions. Narered flag na kaagad yan sa system. Kapag naglagay ka na ng information doon sa qualitative part, it allows the OSSS and OSA to make advance assessment para di na kailangan patagalin yung appeal process. Human yung nagdedecide doon sa open question. Para ma-process ito, kailangan ng appeal muna.

 

USC Chairperson Mercado: Bakit yung benefits/changes sa income ranges as well as stipends

sa freshies palang inaapply pero yung system mismo ng STS sa lahat inapply?

 

Prof Gonzalo: It was under the proposal na lahat. Unfortunately, nung kinompute lahat, hindi kakayanin ng present budget. Tinitingnan dito ngayon, kailangan ireview yung budget para masupport lahat ng estudyante. Magkano na yung budget na kailangan natin, there are scheme na kailangan muna natin madetermine kung ilang studyante ang mapupunta sa mga brackets bago humingi ng funds. Naka-input doon yung historical data sa paghingi ng additional funds. At tapos na yung budgeting period. For the next budget cycle, pwede na siyang i-propose dahil meron na tayong data. Every year, kailangan i-revisit yung data para maupdate yung kinakailangang budget.

 

USC Chairperson Mercado: Bakit may cases na magkapatid na magkaiba yung bracket? 

 

Prof. Gonzalo: Hindi nangyayari yun, may isang item na magkaiba sila. 

 

USC Chairperson Mercado: Ga'no ka-confident 'yung system when it comes to determining the capacity to pay?

 

Prof. Gonzalo: Its not a perfect system, it wouldn?t capture to the most minute detail but gives us a broad, general picture. Yung typical picture ng isang family who consumes this amount, with this income. More or less may general picture. Pano yung mga members of household na may medication. Minsan may mga decisions na kailangan patigilin yung isa nilang kapatid. And these decisions aren't incorporated. This is why we need the qualitative data galing sa appeal process. Bakit di ipagisa yung lahat – dahil matagal yung processing. Sa ngayon, you have a way to categorize and compartmentalize and there are cases to highlight para pwedeng ma-screen.

 

— Earl Victor L. Rosero, GMA News