Private schools highlight risk of CHED's 'blanket denial' of tuition hike bids

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) on Monday urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to adopt a “fair and lawful” review of tuition increase applications, warning that a blanket rejection of petitions from private colleges and universities could hurt both institution and students.

In a statement dated May 4, 2026, the group composed of private schools, colleges, and universities said it was alarmed by reports that CHED may deny all pending tuition increase applications for private higher education institutions (PHEIs) due to the economic effects of the oil crisis.

The COCOPEA argued that a blanket prohibition on tuition hikes, while intended to shield students and families from additional financial burden, could instead produce long-term consequences for the private higher education sector, including layoffs, program disruptions, quality decline, and possible school closures.

“A blanket hike prohibition can end up hurting the very students it aims to protect,” the group said, adding that if private institutions are denied the flexibility to respond to rising costs, the eventual impact would be felt by students, families, and the broader higher education system.

The group said private colleges and universities are facing the same financial pressures affecting other sections, including rising electricity costs, maintenance expenses, learning resources, and personnel salaries.

Since private higher education institutions rely largely on tuition and fees for operations, COCOPEA said tuition adjustments are primarily intended to offset rising personnel costs. It noted that under CHED rules, 70% of proceeds from tuition increases are automatically allocated to salaries and benefits of school personnel.

COCOPEA acknowledged the need to protect Filipino families from additional financial strain, but said that government intervention must still be “fair and workable” and should not create deeper structural problems for schools and students in the long run.

Instead of imposing a one-size-fits-all policy, the group urged CHED to review tuition applications individually and calibrate decisions based on the circumstances of each institution.

“Students deserve protection from excessive or unjustified tuition hikes, especially during hard times. But the better approach is to review applications individually, require transparency and accountability, and balance affordability concerns with the unique operational realities of each institution,” COCOPEA said.

The group also raised legal and constitutional concerns over a possible across-the-board rejection of tuition petitions, arguing that applications were filed based on prevailing economic realities at the time and not in anticipation of a later geopolitical crisis.

“To reject them solely because of later developments in the global energy market is to apply a standard retroactively and unfairly,” it said.

COCOPEA further stressed that private higher education plays a complementary role in the country’s education system and accounts for a substantial share of student enrollment.

It warned that if financial pressures force private institutions to scale down or shut operations, the result could be fewer options for students, disrupted academic pathways, job losses, and additional strain on public higher education institutions.

“Protecting the affordability of education is important, but policies must also recognize that the stability of private education is essential to maintaining overall access to higher education in the country, together with the public higher education institutions,” the group said.

CHED, for its part, said it has already received COCOPEA’s physical letter and will issue an official statement later in the day.

“We have received the physical copy po and we will release a statement within the day” CHED told reporters in a viber message. — BAP, GMA News