Free tuition fee will be implemented in all state universities and colleges in 2017 according to CHED.
According to the latest survey, the percentage of Filipinos who consider themselves poor decreased and the numbers continue to go down. This might be because of several government projects that aim to alleviate poverty in the Philippines. Of course, the most effective way is to address this issue is to strengthen the education sector. It is the foundation and the most basic strategy. Every developed country started and sustained an established and successful education system.
The Philippines has the same drive. In the past years, several regimes focused on allotting a larger portion of the national budget to education, and next year will be a milestone for the tertiary level. In an article also published on gmanetwork.com, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson (CHED), Patricia Licuanan and Senator Loren Legarda declared that by 2017, studying in state universities and colleges will be from tuition fees. This is because the government allocated P8.3 billion to CHED, from next year’s P3.35 trillion national budget.
Chairperson Licuanan confirmed the details in an interview by saying: “For that P8 billion, that’s purely for tuition. That’s purely to remove tuition from the students’ expenses. So ngayon, they can say that sa lahat ng state universities and colleges (SUCs), wala nang tuition.” She added that upon the full implementation of the program, the 8-billion peso budget should be merely for the subsidy of state universities and colleges for them not to collect any tuition fees. Furthermore, she reiterated the fact that this project will also cover University of the Philippines (UP). “Logistically, it will be a little bit difficult too. How do you divide that P8 billion with 113 SUCs? Kasama na rin daw ang UP pala doon,” Licuanan mentioned.
For those who would like to avail of the existing programs for college education, they may still avail them along with this, as long as they pass the requirements.