Close to 900,000 students in 111 state universities and colleges are enjoying free tuition since June 2017 through the P8.3 billion realigned by Congress and approved by President Rodrigo Duterte in the General Appropriations Act, the Commission on Higher Education said Friday.
Under the 2017 GAA, P8 billion was given to CHED to reimburse SUCs so they will not collect tuition fees from their students, CHED officer in charge Prospero de Vera said.
Another P300 million was allocated to provide free tuition to medical students in 8 SUCs offering medicine like University of the Philippines Manila, Mariano Marcos State University, University of Northern Philippines, Cagayan State University, Bicol University, West Visayas State University, UP School of Health Sciences in Leyte, and Mindanao State University.
The CHED has downloaded almost P3 billion of the P8-billion reimbursement to almost all SUCs as of this February.
This sum covers free tuition granted to 888,799 enrolled students in 111 SUCs in the first semester of school year 2017-2018, De Vera said. A similar number of students is expected to benefit from free tuition in the second semester of SY 2017-2018 and paid out of the remaining sum of the P8-billion fund.
Almost all of the 112 SUCs have received their financial reimbursements for free tuition in 2017 based on their Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing submitted to the Department of Budget and Management in 2016.
Only two SUCs – Tawi Tawi Regional Agricultural College and Romblon State University – have not received their reimbursement for failure to submit necessary documents in compliance with the Joint Guidelines issued by the DBM and CHED in 2017.
CHED is currently processing billings for payment to all SUCs for their second semester enrollment and have advised all SUCs to submit complete requirements on or before Feb. 19 to expedite payment to them, De Vera said.
On August 3, 2017, President Duterte signed into law Republic Act 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Higher Education Act ,to free students enrolled in SUCs and local government created universities and colleges (LUCs) who pass CHED evaluation from paying tuition and miscellaneous fees.
“Additional stipends will also be provided to poor students for their tertiary education, as Congress has allocated P40 billion in the 2018 GAA for this landmark law,” De Vera said.
The UniFAST Board will soon publish the enhanced Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10931 to fully implement this law, which includes Free Higher Education, Free Technical Vocational Education and Training, Tertiary Education Subsidy, and the Student Loan Program, he added.