SENATOR Bam Aquino is hoping for the complete implementation of the free college in 2019, with students in public universities and colleges not having to spend a single centavo on tuition, miscellaneous, and other mandatory fees.
“I hope this will be a New Year’s resolution to make free college education 100 percent compliant to the law,” said Aquino.
“Let us make sure that even if the family is short on financial resources, children will finish college because of free tuition, miscellaneous, and other mandatory fees in public schools,” added Aquino.
Aquino orchestrated the passage of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act as principal sponsor in the Senate during his term as chairman of the Committee on Education.
Earlier, the senator received a commitment from the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) that it will issue a memorandum prohibiting state universities and colleges (SUCs) from charging mandatory fees.
During the Ched’s budget hearing, Aquino informed its officials that he received complaints from students that some SUCs still collect miscellaneous and other mandatory fees from students, despite the expressed prohibition under Republic Act 10931.
He told Ched officials that the law should be properly implemented so that students and their families can enjoy its benefits, allowing them to cope with daily expenses amid the high prices of food and other goods.
Aquino is also pushing for the full release of the budget for the Tertiary Education Subsidy program to student-beneficiaries in both public and private education institutions. (PR)