By Dr. Samuel C. Villa Jr., associate professor at Cebu Technological University Main Campus-Dumanjug Extension
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, marked the opening of classes at Cebu Technological University (CTU), bringing back the familiar sights and sounds of college life: crowded hallways, sleepy faces, first-day jitters and students asking the timeless question, “Is there an assignment already?”
But behind the excitement and humor of another academic year lies something far more meaningful — an opportunity made possible by free tuition.
For many CTU students, free tuition is not simply about saving money. It can mean the difference between continuing college and giving up on a dream. For families already struggling with daily expenses, removing tuition fees removes one of the heaviest burdens between a young person and a college degree.
Of course, free tuition does not mean free everything. There are still transportation fares, meals, projects, printing expenses, internet subscriptions and the occasional “surprise” contribution that somehow appears when the wallet is already emotionally exhausted.
Still, the value of free education cannot be measured in pesos alone.
Every student who walks into a CTU classroom carries more than a backpack. They carry the hopes of parents who sacrificed, families who believed, and communities that expect them to become productive citizens someday.
That is why free tuition should never be mistaken for an easy pass.
The tuition may be free, but the effort is not.
Students still have to attend classes, submit requirements, survive examinations, work with groupmates who sometimes mysteriously disappear before the deadline and keep going even when lessons become difficult.
Education is an opportunity, but what students do with that opportunity is ultimately their responsibility.
As CTU opens another academic year, let every classroom become more than a place for lectures and examinations. Let it be a training ground for dreams — where future teachers, engineers, technologists, entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders begin shaping the lives they want to live.
For every student enjoying free tuition, a family is hoping, a parent praying, and a future waiting.
So, this school year, bring your notebook. Bring your pen. Bring your coffee if necessary.
But most importantly, bring the determination to finish what you started.
Because tuition may be free, but the dream is priceless — and earning it still requires hard work.
