Umabot sa 268 pribadong higher education institutions (HEIs) sa bansa ang inaprubahang magtaas ng tuition at iba pang school fees, pahayag ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED) kahapon.

Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ni CHED Chairperson Patricia Licuanan na inilabas ng CHED ang approved applications ng 268 pribadong HEI sa bansa para magtaas ng matrikula at iba pang mga bayarin para sa academic year 2017-2018.

“The approved applications represent 16 percent of the total number of 1,652 private HEIs in the country,” ani Licuanan. “This is 36 HEIs lower than the reported 304 HEIs last academic year,” dagdag niya.

Sa 268 pribadong HEI, aniya, “262 will increase tuition only, while 237 will increase other school fees only.”

Empleyadong lasing, patay matapos sapakin ng ginising na katrabaho

Binanggit ni Licuanan na sa HEIs na inaprubahang magtaas ng tuition o iba school fees, “the average increase in tuition is 6.96 percent or the equivalent of PhP86.68 per unit, while increase in other school fees is 6.9% or PhP243.”

“Considering the total population of private HEIs, the average increase in tuition or other school fees is about one percent,” pagbibigay-diin ni Licuanan. “The increases vary depending on the HEI and the region.”

Batay sa datos ng CHED, sa mga rehiyon na pinakamarami ang ang HEIs, ang average per unit increase sa tuition ay P119.55 o 4.75% para sa NCR, P49.07 o 3.05% sa Region IV, at P49.50 o 8.64% sa Region III.

Para sa iba pang school fees, ang itinaas ay P49.82 o 5.28% para sa NCR, P408.70 o 5.90% sa Region IV, at P974.26 o 10.73% sa Region III.

Sinabi rin ni Licuanan na, “(CHED) ensures that HEIs meet the guidelines provided by law, especially the requirement of consultation, the proper allocation of tuition fees, and strict adherence with the processes that seek to make tuition and other school fee increases transparent, reasonable and affordable.”

Noong nakaraang taon, inaprubahan ng CHED ang pagtataas ng matrikula ng 304 sa 1,659 na pribadong HEI.

(Merlina Hernando-Malipot)