Monday, February 18, 2008 Check on tuition increases urged
WHILE an annual tuition increase is not illegal, a Cebu City councilor asked the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) to make sure all schools comply with the requirements before any increase is approved.
Councilor Edgardo Labella specifically urged Ched officials to see to it that higher education institutions (HEIs) comply with the requirement for a consultation with students, teachers, non-teaching personnel and the school administration.
In a proposed resolution, he also said that HEIs should comply with the Ched policy that requires them to allocate 70 percent of the proceeds of the increase for the pay hike of all school personnel.
Percentage
At least 29 of 144 colleges and universities in Central Visayas are seeking to increase their tuition by as much as 15 percent for school year 2008 to 2009. Fifteen of these schools are in Cebu City.
“Some concerned students, especially those who are from financially challenged families, have reasons to be apprehensive considering that any unreasonable tuition hike might lessen, if not totally eliminate, their chances of continuing their education this school year,” Labella said.
The City Council will tackle the proposed resolution during its regular session this Wednesday.
By complying with the requirement for a public consultation, as stated in Ched Circular 13, conflicting viewpoints from the students and other stakeholders could be threshed out and may help avoid protest activities, he said.
“Indeed, under these very difficult times, it behooves upon Ched to conscientiously enforce its mandate of ensuring that schools applying for tuition hike have met the necessary requirements mandated by a Ched memorandum circular,” he added.
Twenty schools from Cebu City, five from Bohol and four from Oriental Negros informed Ched of their intention to increase their tuition in time for the next school year.
Schools
In Cebu City, the list of HEIs include the Asian College of Technology (8 percent), Cebu Aeronautical Technical School (no amount given), Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu School of Midwifery, College of Technological Sciences (10 percent) and Gullas College of Medicine (10 percent).
The 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. (LCR)
