Student leaders urge CHED to reject proposed tuition fee hikes, demand transparency

Student leaders from different private universities and student-representing bodies on Monday, Apr. 24, condemned the proposed hikes on tuition and other school fees by their respective institutions’ administrators for Academic Year 2023-2024 amid “skyrocketing prices, falling family incomes, and growing economics volatility.”

During a press conference led by the Rise For Education Alliance group held in front of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) office at Diliman, Quezon City, representatives from different student organizations called for CHED to impose a moratorium on tuition and other fees increase (TOFI) put forward by private higher education institutions (HEIs).

“Hamon natin sa CHED na kung sinsero ito sa mandato nito na pangalagaan o bigyan ng kalidad na edukasyon ang kabataang estudyante ay tutulan nito mismo ang TOFI,” National Union of Students of the Philippines Spokesperson Joshua Aquiler said in the press conference.

The student representatives also submitted a position paper urging the government agency to reject all attempts by private institutions to implement an increase in tuition and other school fees for the next academic year as the current state of inflation and unemployment burden students and their families.

“We are holding CHED accountable here to take side among the students and the Filipino families,” Aquiler added.

Also mentioned in the position paper is that over the past years, tuition and other school fees have been ballooning despite the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to their data presented, the average tuition charge increased from 10.49 percent to 12.06 percent in the academic year 2019-2020. The average rate for other school fees, meanwhile, increased from 12.55 percent in 2019-2020 to 30.3 percent in 2020–2021.

Woes on HEI admins

The University of Santo Tomas Central Student Council Central Board (UST-CSCCB), represented by outgoing UST Conservatory of Music President and CB member Benedict Sibley Kawi, expressed dismay about a late notice of the scheduling of consultation regarding tuition fee hike between the administrators and the student body, calling out the university’s lack of sense of urgency and concern for its stakeholders.

In a Twitter thread posted by Central Board Speaker Angela Justine Bautista on Tuesday, Apr. 21, it was only on Apr. 19 that the UST-CSC and CB received a notice of a meeting, to be conducted already on Apr. 27, regarding a consultation on tuition and other student fees hike. The deadline for this year’s consultation for TOFI from HEIs is on Apr. 28.

According to Article 3, Section 5.2 of CHED Memorandum Order No. 3 Series of 2012, all HEIs, public or private, intending to increase their tuition and other school fees “shall inform the concerned CHEDROs to hold consultations fifteen (15) days before the actual dates of consultations.”

“The idea of the tuition fee increase consultation is dapat kasama yung students. But with the consultation being a day before (the deadline), this felt more like a ‘for your information’ rather than a genuine consultation with the student body and the student leaders,” Kawi told the Six Stars Capitol.

The same consultation was scheduled by UST on May 27 of last year with the deadline set on May 28.

“It happened not once but twice,” he added.

Kawi also pointed out the “lack of transparency from the university,” saying that UST is still yet to disclose the full breakdown of the proposed TOFI to the CSC and its recognized student publications at least before it be discussed upon on Apr. 27.

“Sa (April) 27 pa natin malalaman yung magiging proposed fees natin so may tactic talaga na ginagawa ang UST para i-delay ang lahat. So bale when it’s there na, wala na kaming masasabi,” he said.

The student leader further discussed that just like the previous academic year, the student body to attend the consultation will, once again, be allotted only 30 minutes to discuss about questions and queries that they may come up about a proposition that will be presented to them only on the day itself as well.

Kawi also relayed a familiar scenario from last year wherein according to him, the university got away with a “blanket policy regarding energy fee” as not all colleges were already conducting in-person classes, yet were charged of fee increases for energy.

“It’s very unjust for the university to implement din fees na ‘di naman din natin nagagamit. For example last year, [...] colleges such as AB, hindi naman sila face-to-face. So there was that unfair blanket policy na na-enshroud ng university regardless if face-to-face sila or not so that’s something important din to note,” Kawi said.

The UST CSC is currently in communication with the university administrators, trying to request for a complete breakdown of fees for the seven percent TOFI to be implemented for the next academic year before the consultation on Apr. 27.

Six Stars Capitol was not able to secure statements from the administrators despite multiple attempts to do so.

Consequently, stakeholders from the University of the East (UE) also fear the woes of a possible 9.5 percent increase in tuition being proposed by their administrators for both of its campuses in Manila and Caloocan.

“Ito ay hindi makatao at hindi maka-estudyante dahil na rin hindi rin ma-maintain ng UE ang kanilang ‘pinangako na affordable quality education sa kanilang mga estudyante,” UE-Caloocan Student Council President Rabbi Polina Cruz said.

Also in attendance in the press conference are UE-Manila Student Council President Wyncyr Quizon, and Heather Andres of One Big Fight Ateneo de Manila University.

The group will hold their protest, “Shout for Education,” on Apr. 28, 4pm at the same venue.

by: Jose Gabriel Ignacio