BENGUET and Kalinga State University is set to implement free tuition program for the incoming school year 2017-2018 to help poor but deserving students finish their college education.
KSU president Eduardo Bagtang informed the move is under a Commission on Higher Education (Ched) guideline.
Under the guideline, priority beneficiaries of the program are graduating college students with only one semester left. Next are those with two semesters left then Pantawid students and those who will qualify under the income bracket set.
Bagtang said beneficiaries with existing educational grant of less than P15,000 per semester are qualified under the program.
Interested applicants are urged to register early in June to determine the ranking in the priorities.
Bagtang disclosed there is no definite number of student-beneficiaries to be accommodated but this depends on the amount of grant to be released by CHED for the program this year.
KSU enrolment starts in June while classes for the first semester open in August.
BSU will also implement the program stipulated in the guidelines on the grant for free tuition in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for Fiscal Year 2017, jointly issued by Ched and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The number of students who may avail of the tuition subsidy shall be determined by the estimated tuition income of the SUC and only academically-able students shall be considered for the free tuition.
However, students who are beneficiaries of nationally-funded Student Financial Assistance Program (StuFAP) shall be the first to be prioritized in availing the free tuition.
After all StuFAP beneficiaries have been enrolled, continuing students are prioritized next. If there are remaining “free tuition” funds, new enrollees and returning students shall likewise be given corresponding slots.
BSU, and all other SUCs, will be assessing the eligibility of students to free tuition. Before the opening of the formal enrollment period, the university will rank all students according to the student prioritization procedure of free tuition.
BSU students are advised to submit an original or certified true copy of one document as proof of income during the pre-registration period, from June 26- July 1. These documents include Income Tax Return (ITR), BIR Form 2316, BIR Certificate of Exemption from Filing ITR, Barangay Certificate of Indigency, Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Certificate, Employment Contract for OFWs, and other government-issued documents that indicate income earnings of member(s) of the household who would be responsible for the financing of the student’s cost of education.
On the other hand, the free tuition will not cover laboratory and miscellaneous fees.
“The free tuition program is a big help to students. It would remove a ‘burden’ from the parents,” said Kezia Bandao, incoming BS Nursing III student.
Further, Walter Jensen, incoming Bachelor of Secondary Education IV student, said free tuition is an immense support for students who are financially struggling. “Students who also have single parents can take a breath because of the free tuition implementation.”
Some P8 billion, under the provision for the Higher Education Support Program, is allocated to SUCs based on the estimated income from tuition fees of the respective SUCs for Fiscal Year 2017. (PR)