House OKs bill allowing college students to take exams with fees pending

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill allowing college students with unpaid tuition and other school fees to take examinations on good cause and justifiable grounds.

This developed after House Bill 6348 gathered 237 yes votes, zero no votes and zero abstentions during Monday’s plenary session.

Under the bill, all higher education institutions (HEIs) must adopt appropriate policies to accommodate and allow students who have unsettled financial obligations—due to emergencies, force majeure, and good cause or other justifiable reasons—to take the scheduled periodic examinations, provided that the student executes a promissory note for the schedule of settlement of the outstanding financial obligation prior to the taking of examination.

This reprieve will also be granted provided, further, that any deferment of payment of unpaid balance will not go beyond the semester, except when allowed by the HEI.

The same bill also authorizes school authorities to withhold the issuance of appropriate clearance and transfer credentials of college students with unpaid financial obligations and refuse their enrollment in the next enrollment period, whether semester or trimester, until all previous delinquencies are fully paid.

HEIs found guilty of violating any provision of this bill will be subject to administrative sanctions to be imposed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as provided under Higher Education Act of 1994.

Students found guilty of committing any act of fraud, falsehood or misrepresentation in availing themselves of the benefit, on the other hand, will be subject to appropriate administrative and disciplinary sanctions of the HEI.

The bill also tasks CHED, in consultation with relevant stakeholders in higher education, to draft and finish the implementing rules and regulations of the measure within 90 days from the effectivity of the measure.

“This is to protect and promote the right of citizens  to quality and accessible education and democratize the access to quality higher education,” the committee report on the measure read.

“This will free the students from the burden of worrying and enable them to focus on the examination,” the measure added. — BM, GMA Integrated News