10 Negros schools increase tuition

Ten private higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) were allowed to implement increases in tuition and other school fees for academic year 2017 to 2018.

Dr. Dennis Rebueno, officer-in-charge education program specialist of the Commission on Higher Education-NIR, on Tuesday said the agency’s Central Office has approved the tuition and other fee increase applications of seven colleges and universities in Negros Occidental and three others in Negros Oriental.

Rebueno said for Negros Occidental, Cabarrus Catholic College in Sipalay City will implement a tuition increase of 1.80 percent, or P4.27 per unit, and 1.81 percent increase for other fees amounting to P2.36.

The Colegio De Sta. Ana De Victorias in Victorias City has an approved tuition hike of 1.72 percent equivalent to P5 per unit. For other fees, including miscellaneous, it will increase by 1.83 percent, or P3.

The Colegio San Agustin – Bacolod has no tuition increase, only on its other fees – 0.3 percent, or P0.18, he added. 

The agency also approved an additional 1.82 percent, or P7.13 per unit on the tuition of Kabankalan Catholic College, with no increase in other fees.

The Southland College, also in Kabankalan City, will have an increase of 1.80 percent and 1.72 percent on tuition and other fees, respectively. These result to P0.08 increase in tuition and P10.95 in other fees.

The John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation – Bacolod, meanwhile, will increase its tuition by 1.80 percent, or P10.41 per unit, and another 1.79 percent, or P8.21, for other fees. 

Completing the schools in the province, whose application for tuition and other fees got approval from CHED, is Visayan Maritime Academy (VMA) Global College in Bacolod City.

The school will increase its tuition by 1.80 percent equivalent to P9.76 per unit, the highest of all HEIs in the province with approved applications this academic year.

In terms of other fees, VMA is implementing 1.75 percent, or P6.90 increase.

For Negros Oriental, Foundation University in Dumaguete City posted the highest tuition hike at P95.47 per unit, or 10.01 percent of its previous rate.

This is on top of 2.24 percent, or P13.75, increase in the school’s other fees.

Also, Metro Dumaguete College increases its tuition by 3.30 percent, or P8.97 per unit. Its other school fees will increase by 2.95 percent amounting to P11.14.

The CHED, meanwhile, approved three percent increase, or P24.04, on tuition of Saint Paul University Dumaguete. The school’s other fees will increase by 0.13 percent or P1.35.

Rebueno said on the average, 10 NIR schools have 3.01 percent increase in tuition amounting to P18.35 per unit.

In terms of other fees, the schools acquired an average increase of 1.58 percent, or P6.43, Rebueno said. 

“The agency has considered the lower inflation rate of the region in approving the tuition hike applications of these schools thus, the latest increase is smaller than that of the previous year,” he stressed.

The 10 NIR schools form part of the total 268 HEIs in the country whose applications for tuition and other fee increase were approved by the CHED.

They represent 16 percent of the 1,652 total private HEIs in the Philippines.

The agency, in a report, said the average tuition hike in the country is 6.96 percent or P86.68 per unit. The increase in other school fees, meanwhile, will be 6.9 percent or P243.

Moreover, approving the applications to increase tuition is provided under the Education Act of 1982 allowing private schools to determine its rate of tuition and other school fees.

Of the total tuition increase to be collected this year, 70 percent will go to the salary of the faculty.

Twenty percent is intended for improvement of facilities and services of the school, while the remaining 10 percent goes to the management.

The CHED-NIR reminded HEIs in the region to adjust their tuition rates based on the approved increases.

Its regional director Freddie Bernal earlier said that before the approval of tuition hike, schools can collect provided prior rate will apply.

“As soon as approved, HEIs can collect the difference,” Bernal said, adding that erring schools will face corresponding sanctions.

The regional line agency earlier said that there were three other HEIs in the region whose applications for tuition hike were technically disqualified, specifically due to lack of documents. —KG, GMA News