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CHED announces free tuition fee for SUCs starting SY 2018

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) confirmed January 1 that the free tuition law for students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) shall be implemented starting on school year 2018-2019.

SUCs are public tertiary schools fully subsidized by the national government through an Act.

“Starting on school year 2018-2019, tuition and other school fees of students in state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as technical-vocational institutes (TVIs) would already be shouldered by the government,” , Inquirer quoted CHEd Chair Patricia Licuanan as saying.

However, upon the completion of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the mentioned law, students should still pass the admission exam considering that the law does not guarantee automatic admission to SUCs.

In addition, failure to complete the degree within a year shall also be prohibited from free tuition law.

Citing Republic Act No. 10931, or the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act,” students with bachelor’s degree or comparable undergraduate degree from any higher education institution, and those who fail the SUC’s admission and retention policy cannot avail themselves of the free tuition.

Licuanan mentioned that a P51.4 billion budget has been allotted for the program in which the SUCs and tertiary education subsidy shall receive a P22.6 billion and P21.6 billion, respectively.

The rest of the budget is for TVIs, national student loan program and administrative costs.

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