Saturday, February 09, 2008
29 schools file petition to increase tuition
AT least 29 of 144 colleges and universities in Central Visayas, mostly from Cebu City, want to increase their tuition fees for school year 2008 to 2009.
However, most of these schools have not yet decided how much increase they want to implement because their administrations still have to conduct consultations with students and personnel.
In a radio dyLA interview, Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 Education Supervisor Dante Cabunilas said that the highest increase sought is 15 percent while the lowest is five percent.
Twenty schools from Cebu City, five from Bohol, and four from Oriental Negros wanted to increase their tuition in time for the next school year.
In Cebu City, these higher education institutions (HEIs) include Asian College of Technology (8 percent), Cebu Aeronautical Technical School (no amount), Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu School of Midwifery, College of Technological Sciences (10 percent), and Gullas College of Medicine (10 percent).
Other institutions are the University of Cebu-Nursing (five percent), University of San Carlos (USC) (no amount), University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) (no amount), University of Southern Philippines (no amount), University of the Visayas-main campus (eight percent), University of the Visayas-Mandaue, University of the Visayas-Toledo (no amount), Cebu Eastern College (no amount), and Velez College (no amount).
Since USC and USJR are autonomous schools, they can impose tuition increase.
Still, they are required by Ched to follow procedures and submit requirements.
Last Jan. 31, marked the end of the submission of letters of intent to increase tuition fees. This month is devoted for administrations to organize a series of consultations with the student council, teaching and non-teaching staff, and the school administration.
By March, these schools are expected to submit to Ched pertinent documents showing the minutes of the consultation.
There should also be a certificate of intended compliance, illustrating that 70 percent of the proceeds from the increase will raise the salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff, 20 percent for school improvements, and 10 percent for the return of investment (ROI).
But, according to Ched, the ROI may be added to the budget for school improvements, depending on the discretion of the school management.
Cabunilas said schools must also submit a certificate of compliance of the increase being implemented during the current school year.
In April, Ched will acknowledge schools that have submitted complete requirements. This acknowledgment will allow them to pursue implementing the tuition increase.
Cabunilas added that HEIs that have filed letters of intent may withdraw from collecting the increase, depending on the results of the consultation as it is likely that strong opposition might prevail during the consultation. (NRC)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 9, 2008 issue)
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