CEBU CITY, March 7 (PNA) — An official of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 said at least 20 private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Central Visayas have applied for tuition fee increase for school year 2014 to 2015.
Melissa Castillote, Ched 7 supervisor and school fees hike application in-charge, said the schools include some Cebu City colleges.
Castillote the school’s names were withheld while their respective applications are still pending.
But Castillote said the schools that applied requested for an increase of less than 10 percent.
A total of 28 of the 126 private HEIs submitted letters of intent to increase their respective tuition and other school fees last year, but only 21 actually increased their fees.
The average increase was 8.5 percent for tuition and 10.17 percent for other school fees.
Section 42 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 232, or the Education Act of 1982, stipulates that “Each private school shall determine its rate of tuition and other school fees or charges subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports” (now Department of Education, Technical Education Skills Development Authority and Ched).
Other legal provisions designed to regulate tuition and other fees include Republic Act 6728, or the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act, and regulations such as Ched Memorandum Order (CMO) 13, Series of 1998.
CMO 3, Series of 2012, on the other hand, requires that for every incremental tuition increase, HEIs allocate 70 percent for payment of salaries, wages, allowances and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel.
It also stipulates that 20 percent of the increase is set aside for improvement and/or acquisition of facilities, or modernization of buildings, equipment, libraries, laboratories and other similar facilities and the payment of other costs of operation.
The remaining 10 percent, on the other hand, is for the return on investment of HEIs, if they are stock corporations, or for their operations if they are not. (PNA)