The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) revealed to the media that at least 304 private higher education institutions (HEIs) have been given the go signal to increase tuition and other school fees for Academic Year (AY) 2016-2017. According to CHED the average increase in tuition fees is at 5.10 percent or the equivalent of P43.39 per unit.
Aside from the increase in tuition fees, CHEd Chairperson Patricia Licuanan also confirmed that other school fees will increase also with 5.41 percent or P115.58. The tuition fee increase was approved by CHEd during its 471st Joint Management Committee and Commission en banc meeting.
“Considering the total population of private HEIs, the average increase in tuition or other school fees is less than one percent (1%),” the Commission said. “These increases vary depending on the HEI and the region,” CHEd added.
Based upon the data from the Commission on Higher Education the regions with the highest number of HEIs, the “average per unit increase in tuition is P68.44 or 5 percent for NCR; P23.39 or 3.2 percent for Region IV-A; and P33.41 or 6.14 percent for Region III. For other school fees, the increases are P57.52 or 5.14 percent for NCR; P138.36 or 3.22 percent for Region IV-A; and P487.71 or 5.28 percent for Region III.”
CHEd said that in deciding on the reasonableness of tuition and other school fees, the Commission is guided by (a) Section 42 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 or the “Education Act of 1982” which provides that, “each private school shall determine its rate of tuition and other school fees or charges… subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports” (now DepEd, TESDA and CHEd).
Aside from the announcement of tuition fee and other fee increase among colleges in the Philippines, the Commission has programmed close to 280,000 Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs) slots amounting to more than P5.7 billion for AY 2016-2017.
