SIXTY-FOUR state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Western Visayas Region, including Negros Occidental province, have implemented the free tuition law in the second semester this year.
This was confirmed to VoxPop Bacolod Sunday by Cesar Medina, regional director of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) in the region.
Of 64 SUCs in the region, four are in Negros Occidental.
These are the Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC) in Talisay City, Northern Negros Institute of Science and Technology (Nonescost) in Sagay City, Central Philippines State University (CPSU) in Kabankalan City, and their extension campuses.
An extension campus of the Philippine Normal University (PNU) in Cadiz City also started to implement free tuition this semester.
Medina said that of the 11 local universities and colleges (LUCs) in Western Visayas, only Talisay City College in Negros Occidental and Iloilo Community City College in Iloilo are government-recognized.
“Only degree programs recognized by the Ched and only LUCs with institutional government recognition are covered,” he said.
Medina pointed out that institutional government recognition is issued by the Ched Central Office while degree program recognition is issued by the regional line agency.
Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino, in a report, said that the 113 SUCs will implement the free college tuition law starting this second semester, earlier than the initial implementation planned next year.
Aquino said students in SUCs will enjoy the benefits of Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, earlier than expected.
“As for the budget, there is still remaining budget from the P8 billion allotted for free tuition from the 2017 General Appropriations Act,” the senator said, adding that this budget will be used to fund this semester’s tuition.
The Congress had earlier allotted P40 billion in the 2018 national budget for the implementation of the law for the next school year.
The National Government also said that a portion of the P6-billion debt settlement of Philippine Airlines will fund the "free education" of students in SUCs and LUCs in the country.
For Western Visayas Region, Medina said all SUCs and LUCs qualified have to wait for the funds to be downloaded by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Medina said that students who have paid during the enrollment period prior to the implementation of the law will be refunded.
“The initial plan is to cover the miscellaneous fees, even allowances may also be given. But we have yet to wait for the final Implementing Rules and Regulations thus, only free tuition is being implemented for now," he added.
In terms of allocation for the region, the basis of the amount to be downloaded by the DBM per SUC and LUC is their projected income through the tuition to be paid by the students, based on existing rates.
Meaning, the higher the tuition per unit, the higher the subsidy from the DBM.
Mayor Nicholas Yulo earlier told VoxPop Bacolod that Bago City College is now coordinating with the Ched to also avail of the free tuition program.
Medina said the school’s government recognition is already in process, but for now, it is like other LUCs under the defunct Negros Island Region and that “our office is currently assisting them.”
“With more aggressive and excellent move is Bacolod City College because they are simultaneously working on having their programs recognized by the Ched,” he added.
