ILOILO – Sixteen higher education institutions (HEIs) in Region 6 are seeking to raise their tuition fees for school year 2022-2023.
Fifteen are private schools while the other is local government-run, according to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Western Visayas director Dr. Raul Alvarez Jr.
He begged off from naming the 16 schools for now; the list is not yet final.
The deadline set by CHED Region 6 for the schools’ submission of applications for tuition fee increase is July 1.
“We will make that public as soon as all of the intents are in. Siguro mga after July 1 pagkatapos sang period of application,” Alvarez told Panay News.
Why do the schools want higher tuition?
Alvarez said schools told CHED-6 they needed to cope with the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic, and improve the compensation of their faculty and staff.
CHED-6 actually started accepting applications for tuition hike in January.
Alvarez stressed the importance of consultations with parents and students, faculty and staff for a tuition hike in order to come up with a reasonable and acceptable rate.
“Ma-apply sila sa amon and ma-publish sila sang date sang consultation…After the period of consultation they will finalize and submit to us,” said Alvarez.
CHED-6 would evaluate the proposed increase using the regional deflator or regional inflation rate for education as basis.
Once CHED-6 approves, the proposed rate would be forwarded to CHED’s central office which has the last say.
School Year 2022-2023 starts this August.
“Ang aton private schools dependent sa bayad sang students, 70 percent of the payment or the amount that is paid through the tuition fee will go to the salaries. Buot silingon, ang eskwelahan kon indi mag-increase (tuition) indi man maka-increase sang salary sang iya teachers unless damo sia kwarta,” Alvarez.
Public schools, on the other hand, have more elbow room to maneuver their finances because they are supported by the government through the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“Lain ya ang mechanism sang public schools sa pag-increase sang benefits sang teachers or may guidelines na from the Department of Budget and Management and CHED,” added Alvarez.
CHED-6 data showed 154 HEIs in the region – 60 percent private schools and 40 percent Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) and State Universities and colleges./PN
