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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate OKs bill providing free college entrance exam for qualified students

Senate OKs bill providing free college entrance exam for qualified students

Published Dec 11, 2023 09:18 am

Voting 22-0, the Senate on Monday, December 11 approved on third and final reading the bill that would waive the entrance examination fees in private higher educational institutions (HEIs) for disadvantaged graduates or graduating students who show academic potential.

The Senate approved Senate Bill No. 2441 or the proposed “Free College Entrance Examinations Act” for qualified students.

“This free exam can be a recruiting tool aimed at the best and the brightest,” said Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education and sponsor of the measure

“The fee that we’re waiving is minimal, and this bill is supported by the association of private schools as well,” Escudero added.

SBN 2441 is a consolidation of the bills filed by Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Mark Villar, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, and Raffy Tulfo.

Under the bill, students are exempt from paying examination fees and charges if they: are a natural-born Filipino student; belong to the top 10 percent of their graduating class; and, if they belong to a family whose combined household income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) or cannot afford to provide for their minimum basic needs duly certified as such by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The senator said students may avail of the waived entrance exam fees once they satisfy all other requirements specified by the private HEI. The waiver would apply to any private HEIs within the country.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) would also be given the authority to determine and impose sanctions against private HEI officials and employees who fail or refuse to comply with the proposed law.

“Some entrance exam fees are equivalent to a minimum day’s wage such that taking the former will mean meals foregone. No family should starve for a day because food money has been traded for an examination fee,” the senator said.

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