Bam Aquino: Free tuition in SUCs to cover 30% of students’ expenses

A bill providing free tuition in state colleges and universities set to be approved on final reading in the Senate on Monday will cover 30 percent of the expenses of college students, Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said.

Interviewed on GMA News TV's News To Go, Aquino said Senate Bill No. 1304 or the Free Higher Education for All Act is scheduled for approval in the plenary session, and hopes that it will become a law by May or June.

“Pangarap pa rin ng bawat Pilipino na kahit isa sa kanilang pamilya, maka-gradaute man lang ng college. And now that there’s money, palagay ko, panahon na para i-prioritize ito,” Aquino said.

Aquino was the former chairman of the Senate education committee, which led deliberations on the proposal. He was ousted last month, along with other Liberal Party (LP) members from key posts.

Aquino said the law will cover 30 percent of the expenses of students in state universities and colleges (SUCs).

“Seventy percent ng cost ng estudyante kailangan hanapan ng pondo, whether other scholarship programs or out of pockets of families or mag-tatrabaho sila,” he said.

“We’re hoping na enough na ito at makatawid sila sa graduation,” Aquino added, noting that out of 10 students, only four enter tertiary education, and one people graduate with a degree.

The free higher education proposal however would need to be complemented by other efforts to improve the educational system, the senator said.

“We can’t have our SUCs expanding it na kulang ang classroom, kulang ang teacher,” Aquino said.

He said improving the quality of education is now more possible than ever with a P595-billion budget allocation for the education sector, the “highest ever in our history.” — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/RSJ, GMA News