Congress leaders welcomed a new law mandating private higher education institutions to waive college entrance examination fees for students qualified for college admission.
Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez were informed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin that the Free College Entrance Examinations Act lapsed into law last June 14.
Under the Constitution, President Marcos has 30 days to sign or veto a bill transmitted to his office. If he does not act on the measure within 30 days, the bill lapses into law.
Free college education will now be more accessible to poor students, said Escudero who championed the passage of the bill during his tenure as chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education.
He described as a significant milestone in the pursuit of accessible higher education the new law, now officially known as Republic Act 12006.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez likewise hailed the development pointing out that the “law is a crucial step in our efforts to provide equal educational opportunities for all Filipinos, regardless of their financial situation.”
He emphasized the importance of equal opportunities for all aspiring college students: “Our proposed legislation, which compels private higher education institutions (HEIs) to waive college entrance examination fees and charges for eligible students seeking college admission, has now been fully enacted.”
“By waiving entrance exam fees, we are removing a significant hurdle that prevents many talented and deserving students from pursuing their dreams of higher education,” Romualdez added.
Under the “Free College Entrance Examinations Act,” students are exempt from paying examination fees and charges if they are a natural-born Filipino student; belong to the top 10 percent of their graduating class; and, if they belong to a family whose combined household income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) or cannot afford to provide for their minimum basic needs duly certified as such by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Students may avail of the waived entrance exam fees once they satisfy all other requirements specified by the private HEI, the Act stated.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is given the authority to determine and impose sanctions against private HEI officials and employees who fail or refuse to comply with the provisions of the law.
The law took effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or in two newspapers of general circulation.