BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City College (BBC) is no longer accepting enrollees, according to school administrator Dr. Ma. Johanna Ann Bayoneta.
Bayoneta said she understands that many want to study at BCC to avail themselves of the free tuition program but stressed that the school has a student limit.
The limit ensures that BCC can offer quality education to its students, Bayoneta added.
From last school year’s 3,162, BCC has now about 3,500 students.
Bayoneta said they have projected the increase in student population when senior high school students graduated last school year.
The office administration program of BCC has the most number of enrollees, the school head added. The school’s computer science and education programs followed.
The Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act provides for free tuition for students in state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as local universities and colleges (LUCs) and state-run technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).
SUCs refer to “public higher education institutions established by national laws which are financed and maintained by the national government and are governed by their respective independent boards of trustees or regents,” the law stated.
LUCs, meanwhile, are “Commission on Higher Education-accredited public higher education institutions established by local government units through an enabling ordinance financially supported by the LGU concerned.”
BCC, a community college run by the city government, is an LUC.
TVIs, on the other hand, “provide non-degree programs aimed at preparing technicians, paraprofessionals and other categories of middle-level workers,” stated the law.
Eligible for free tuition and other fees under the law are “students in SUCs and LUCs, provided that they passed the entrance examination and other admission and retention requirements,” and “students in state-run TVIs under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.”
The law also provides a mechanism for students with financial capacity who want to opt out of the subsidy program for tuition and other fees./PN
