Cebu students face tuition hike woes

LOOMING tuition hikes for students in Cebu are sparking widespread worry over financial constraints and academic futures.

“Rish,” a 22-year-old incoming fourth-year student and working scholar, shared her concerns with SunStar in a chat interview on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

She explained that an increase in tuition would be an added financial burden, especially when she’s already struggling to make ends meet.

“It has a big effect on us working students because our salary isn’t enough to cover tuition, and there’s barely anything left for allowance,” she lamented. To help pay for her studies, her parents have even had to take on debts.

This comes after the Commission on Higher Education 7 approved tuition and other school fee increases for 10 private higher education institutions in Cebu for the upcoming Academic Year 2025-2026. The agency is currently withholding the names of the schools due to ongoing application processes.

Also on Thursday, “Ash,” a 20-year-old incoming third-year student, said that a tuition increase could force her to take on more part-time jobs, secure additional loans, or even reconsider pursuing higher education altogether.

While she understands universities’ need to provide quality education and facilities, she emphasized the importance of considering students’ financial limitations.

“Andrei,” 21, expressed mixed feelings about the tuition increase.

“On one hand, I think it’s understandable, given our country’s fluctuating economy, and many schools are trying to compensate for it to give their students the quality education they deserve,” he said. “On the other hand, I dislike it because money isn’t an easy asset to gain nowadays, and those who aren’t fortunate enough won’t be able to access that ‘quality education’ they need.”

Meanwhile, Judylita Endrina, 43, told SunStar in a chat interview on Friday, July 4, that she enrolled her child in a private school primarily for the quality of education it offered.

She noted that if tuition increases, parents like her would have no choice but to find additional sources of income.

With these impending increases, students are calling for transparent communication regarding how the new fees will be utilized. They also hope that the tuition increases will be adequately used to provide an overall quality education, particularly through improvements in classrooms, facilities, equipment and staffing. / NECOLYN CLAIRE BALANSAG, CNU INTERN