All local colleges should offer free tuition – senator
Credit to Author: Bernadette Tamayo| Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2020 17:05:41 +0000
SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian has urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to ensure that all 118 local universities and colleges (LUCs) will be eligible to offer free tuition under the free tuition law.
The senator on Sunday said Republic Act (RA) 10931, or the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017,” provides free quality tertiary education.
“Mahalaga ang papel ng mga lokal na pamantasan at mga kolehiyo upang gawing abot-kaya ang dekalidad na edukasyon (The local universities and colleges will play an important role in making quality education affordable),” Gatchalian said.
CHEd recently signed an agreement with the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education and 27 LUCs that will offer free tertiary education for Academic Year 2019-2021.
Aside from free tuition, CHEd-accredited LUCs also offer subsidies. At least 76 LUCs have started offering free tertiary education and subsidies since the law took effect in 2017.
The law mandates LUCs to comply with certain policies, guidelines and standards so they can offer free tuition.
With only 15 more LUCs to be accredited, Gatchalian said CHEd should coordinate closely with these institutions to help them meet their prerequisites and become eligible to offer free tuition and subsidies.
“Isang mahalagang reporma sa ating sistema ng edukasyon kung maibibigay natin ito nang libre sa ating mga pampublikong pamantasan at mga kolehiyo (It will be an important reform in our education system if we can offer it free in our public universities and colleges),” he added.
“Sa puntong ito, ang layunin natin ay masigurong naipapatupad natin nang wasto ang batas upang makinabang dito ang bawat kabataang Filipino (At this point, our intention is to ensure that we will implement the law properly so that every Filipino youth will benefit from this),” Gatchalian said.
Aside from LUCs, RA 10931 also covers state universities and colleges and state-run technical vocational institutions.