(Photo credit: DepEd Philippines)
According to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, all Filipino students who will enroll in courses leading to a bachelor’s degree in any State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) will be exempted from paying tuition and other school fees.
In condition that a student must consistently comply to all the admission and retention requirements of the institution they enrolled in. It includes finishing their degree on time and enrolling in the required number of units per year.
A Return Service System is also being implemented. A student who graduated benefitting from the free higher education program must render services to the Philippines for at least five (5) years.
Here are the benefits of the Free Higher Education program:
All students who will avail of the free higher education provision are entitled to:
- Free tuition for all courses, subjects, classes enrolled in during a particular semester or term; tutorials, review classes are not included
- Free miscellaneous, other school fees, or fees like:
- library fees
- computer fees
- laboratory fees
- school ID fees
- athletic fees
- admission fees
- development fees
- guidance fees
- handbook fees
- entrance fees
- registration fees
- medical and dental fees
- cultural fees
Meanwhile, here are the following students that are ineligible to avail of the free higher education:
- Students who have already obtained a Bachelor’s Degree or comparable undergraduate degree from any public or private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
- Students who are not able to comply to the admission and retention policies of the institution that results to a permanent disqualification from enrolling in any SUC or LUCs
- Students who fail to complete their Bachelor’s degree one year after the prescribed period of completion (in cases of shifters, transferees, students who went on LOA, rules of institutions vary)
- And students who choose not to avail of the free higher education
(PIA-NCR)
