CHED: 'Promissory notes will be a thing of the past'
Published May 25, 2018 02:40 pm
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
Due to the implementation of the Free Quality Tertiary Education Law, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said “promissory notes will be a thing of the past.”
(photo by Pixabay)
CHED said the Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) this coming school year will “help ease financial burden of parents of college students.” With the Free Higher Education to be implemented starting Academic Year (AY) 2018-2019, CHED believes that parents of students enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), CHED-recognized Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), and state-run Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs), “will no longer worry about paying tuition and miscellaneous fees.”
This assurance was also made by Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) governing board member and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo during his keynote address at the Nationwide Information Caravan on RA 10931 in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro held recently.
Ronquillo, who is also the president of Batangas State University, said that with RA 10931, “there will be no more obstacles for parents to have their children complete college education.” He noted that the student-beneficiaries of the UAQTE should thank President Duterte “for finally signing this into law.”
“Really, ‘Change is coming’, and it has come,” said Ronquillo, referring to the campaign slogan of Duterte when he was running for president during May 2016 elections. There are four programs under RA 10931: 1) Free Higher Education wherein the government will provide free tuition, miscellaneous and other similar or related fees to students admitted in SUCs and CHED-recognized LUCs: 2) Free Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for those enrolled in state-run TVIs: 3) Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) or grants-in-aid; and, 4) national Student Loan Program (SLP).
At the caravan, UniFAST officer-in-charge Executive Director Atty. Carmelita Yadao-Sison also clarified to the audience the list of “miscellaneous and other school fees,” as defined by the law. She noted that there are 13 fees – library fee, computer fee, school identification fee, athletic fee, admission fee, development fee, guidance fee, handbook fee, entrance fee, registration fee, medical and dental fee, and cultural fee – that are covered by the RA 10931.
Yadao-Sison also emphasized that UniFAST will be strict in monitoring if SUCs and LUCs are complying with the “No Collection of Miscellaneous Fee” rule.
In Mimaropa region, eight public higher education institutions that will offer free education starting AY 2018-2019 are Marinduque State College, Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology, Occidental Mindoro State College, Palawan State University, Romblon State University, Western Philippine State University, Baco Community College, and City College of Calapan.
Since March, CHED has been conducting the #FreeEducationNa Nationwide Information Caravan on RA 10931. The next leg of the caravan is for the tertiary education stakeholders in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on June 2 at the Crown Legacy Hotel in Baguio City.
(photo by Pixabay)
CHED said the Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) this coming school year will “help ease financial burden of parents of college students.” With the Free Higher Education to be implemented starting Academic Year (AY) 2018-2019, CHED believes that parents of students enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), CHED-recognized Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), and state-run Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs), “will no longer worry about paying tuition and miscellaneous fees.”
This assurance was also made by Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) governing board member and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo during his keynote address at the Nationwide Information Caravan on RA 10931 in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro held recently.
Ronquillo, who is also the president of Batangas State University, said that with RA 10931, “there will be no more obstacles for parents to have their children complete college education.” He noted that the student-beneficiaries of the UAQTE should thank President Duterte “for finally signing this into law.”
“Really, ‘Change is coming’, and it has come,” said Ronquillo, referring to the campaign slogan of Duterte when he was running for president during May 2016 elections. There are four programs under RA 10931: 1) Free Higher Education wherein the government will provide free tuition, miscellaneous and other similar or related fees to students admitted in SUCs and CHED-recognized LUCs: 2) Free Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for those enrolled in state-run TVIs: 3) Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) or grants-in-aid; and, 4) national Student Loan Program (SLP).
At the caravan, UniFAST officer-in-charge Executive Director Atty. Carmelita Yadao-Sison also clarified to the audience the list of “miscellaneous and other school fees,” as defined by the law. She noted that there are 13 fees – library fee, computer fee, school identification fee, athletic fee, admission fee, development fee, guidance fee, handbook fee, entrance fee, registration fee, medical and dental fee, and cultural fee – that are covered by the RA 10931.
Yadao-Sison also emphasized that UniFAST will be strict in monitoring if SUCs and LUCs are complying with the “No Collection of Miscellaneous Fee” rule.
In Mimaropa region, eight public higher education institutions that will offer free education starting AY 2018-2019 are Marinduque State College, Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology, Occidental Mindoro State College, Palawan State University, Romblon State University, Western Philippine State University, Baco Community College, and City College of Calapan.
Since March, CHED has been conducting the #FreeEducationNa Nationwide Information Caravan on RA 10931. The next leg of the caravan is for the tertiary education stakeholders in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on June 2 at the Crown Legacy Hotel in Baguio City.