SUCs, LUCs no-pay admission tests for HS grads
Published Mar 17, 2018 02:34 pm
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
High school graduates who wish to enter State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will no longer have to pay for their admission tests or entrance examinations effective this coming school year.
This was known after the Enhanced Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTEA) have been completed and released by CHED.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
CHED officer-in-charge J. Prospero De Vera III said all 112 SUCs and 78 CHED-recognized LUCs “cannot charge fees for entrance exams anymore” as part of the benefits of the free higher education law which will be fully implemented starting academic year (AY) 2018-2019.
While the amount of fees for entrance exams in public universities and colleges may seem minimal, De Vera said this is still a problem for some high school graduates especially those who are in the provinces or those who belong to poorer households. “As much as possible, we want to eliminate obstacles to access to higher education and this is one way of doing it,” he explained.
De Vera said that effective this coming school year, entrance exams in SUCs and select LUCs for high school graduates will be free of charge. “The SUCs and LUCs can bill it to us,” he said. He noted that there will be no limit as to how many students will benefit from not paying entrance exams.
Should the applicant fail to make it to the SUC or LUC of his or her choice, De Vera said the student may still apply to other public schools and they will still not be charged for the entrance exams.
De Vera said the SUCs and LUCs may reimburse the amount for entrance exams from CHED. He noted that the budget for this will come from the P40 billion allocation in the 2018 General Appropriations Act by Congress.
As the country welcomes the first batch of Senior High School (SHS) graduates this year, De Vera said initial estimates from CHED showed that at least 1.1-million students are expected to apply for admission in SUCs while some 300,000 might go to LUCs.
Social justice
In exchange of the benefits of availing free higher education, De Vera also announced that student-beneficiaries will have to render services that will be determined by the public universities they will enroll in.
De Vera said that since the students “are now being paid for by taxpayers' money, it is their responsibility to give back to their community or give back to the nation.”
The Return Service System, De Vera said, is “social justice component” of Republic Act 10931. Based on its enhanced IRR, “SUCs and CHED-recognized LUCs shall formulate and implement a Return Service System for students benefiting from the Free Higher Education” – thus, all college students in SUCs and select LUCs who will enjoy free tuition and miscellaneous fees will have to render services as mandated by the government through CHED.
Many public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – the University of the Philippines (UP) for instance – have been implementing the Return Service System. However, De Vera noted that the difference will be in the timeframe or the period of which the student must complete the said requirement. In UP, he noted that “this is done after graduation” but with the implementation of the RA 10931, the beneficiaries “must complete return service while they are still students.”
De Vera clarified that the type of service that must be rendered by the student may depend on the SUC or LUC. “It is up to the schools to decide,” he said. However, he assured that CHED will monitor the work load to ensure that this would not affect the students’ studies in any way. “It's not something that will be overwhelming or people should be afraid of,” he added.
Signed into law by President Duterte on August 3, 2017, the UAQTEA aims to provide free higher education (tuition, miscellaneous and other fees stated in the law) in SUCs and select LUCs, Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), free Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for those enrolled in state-run Technical Vocational Institutions, and a Student Loan Program.
CHED said the RA 10931 will be fully implemented this year to ensure that all Filipino undergraduates enrolled in public universities and colleges “will no longer pay tuition and other fees” – subject to admission and retention policies of the institutions.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
CHED officer-in-charge J. Prospero De Vera III said all 112 SUCs and 78 CHED-recognized LUCs “cannot charge fees for entrance exams anymore” as part of the benefits of the free higher education law which will be fully implemented starting academic year (AY) 2018-2019.
While the amount of fees for entrance exams in public universities and colleges may seem minimal, De Vera said this is still a problem for some high school graduates especially those who are in the provinces or those who belong to poorer households. “As much as possible, we want to eliminate obstacles to access to higher education and this is one way of doing it,” he explained.
De Vera said that effective this coming school year, entrance exams in SUCs and select LUCs for high school graduates will be free of charge. “The SUCs and LUCs can bill it to us,” he said. He noted that there will be no limit as to how many students will benefit from not paying entrance exams.
Should the applicant fail to make it to the SUC or LUC of his or her choice, De Vera said the student may still apply to other public schools and they will still not be charged for the entrance exams.
De Vera said the SUCs and LUCs may reimburse the amount for entrance exams from CHED. He noted that the budget for this will come from the P40 billion allocation in the 2018 General Appropriations Act by Congress.
As the country welcomes the first batch of Senior High School (SHS) graduates this year, De Vera said initial estimates from CHED showed that at least 1.1-million students are expected to apply for admission in SUCs while some 300,000 might go to LUCs.
Social justice
In exchange of the benefits of availing free higher education, De Vera also announced that student-beneficiaries will have to render services that will be determined by the public universities they will enroll in.
De Vera said that since the students “are now being paid for by taxpayers' money, it is their responsibility to give back to their community or give back to the nation.”
The Return Service System, De Vera said, is “social justice component” of Republic Act 10931. Based on its enhanced IRR, “SUCs and CHED-recognized LUCs shall formulate and implement a Return Service System for students benefiting from the Free Higher Education” – thus, all college students in SUCs and select LUCs who will enjoy free tuition and miscellaneous fees will have to render services as mandated by the government through CHED.
Many public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – the University of the Philippines (UP) for instance – have been implementing the Return Service System. However, De Vera noted that the difference will be in the timeframe or the period of which the student must complete the said requirement. In UP, he noted that “this is done after graduation” but with the implementation of the RA 10931, the beneficiaries “must complete return service while they are still students.”
De Vera clarified that the type of service that must be rendered by the student may depend on the SUC or LUC. “It is up to the schools to decide,” he said. However, he assured that CHED will monitor the work load to ensure that this would not affect the students’ studies in any way. “It's not something that will be overwhelming or people should be afraid of,” he added.
Signed into law by President Duterte on August 3, 2017, the UAQTEA aims to provide free higher education (tuition, miscellaneous and other fees stated in the law) in SUCs and select LUCs, Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), free Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for those enrolled in state-run Technical Vocational Institutions, and a Student Loan Program.
CHED said the RA 10931 will be fully implemented this year to ensure that all Filipino undergraduates enrolled in public universities and colleges “will no longer pay tuition and other fees” – subject to admission and retention policies of the institutions.