THIRTY schools in Central Visayas want an increase in tuition and other school fees for the academic year 2019-2020, according to the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7.

Most of these higher education institutions (HEI) are requesting for at least a three to four percent increase of the tuition, which is acceptable to Ched, according to Melissa Castillote, Ched 7 Education Supervisor 2.

The schools that applied are mostly from Bohol, Negros Oriental, Cebu City and Cebu Province.

Castillote said that as long as it is within the 5.6 percent regional inflation rate (RIR) as determined by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), the request can be considered.

The request for tuition and other school fees increase can also be the effect of inflation.

“That (inflation) could be a factor that affected their request to increase,” explained Castillote.

However, Castillote emphasized that not all of the schools will be granted their request since they still have to evaluate the requests, as well as scrutinize well the documents.

Castillote explained that HEIs must submit first a notarized letter of intent as the first step in the application for tuition increase and other school fees.

Once the school will receive a reply from Ched, the school then has to conduct a consultation involving the faculty, student council, and the parents.

Ched must be informed about the consultation 15 days prior, and it has to be conducted on or before Feb. 28. The school has to submit all the required documents before April 1 of the year the school wishes to implement its school fee increase, she said.

Castillote said there are also HEIs which only request for a school fee increase intended only for the upcoming freshmen which only required the school to post notices within the conspicuous areas of the school, as well as submit a comparative schedule for the increase.

Seventy percent of the proceeds of the tuition should be used for the increase in salaries, wages, allowances and other benefits of the HEIs’ teaching and non-teaching personnel, while 20 percent will be used for the improvement of the facilities. (JJL)