CHED okays tuition hike

CEBU, Philippines — At least 10 private colleges and universities or higher education institutions (HEIs) in Central Visayas have been granted approval to increase tuition and other school fees for Academic Year 2025–2026, according to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regional office.

CHED-7 education program specialist Maria Antonette Reyes said that 20 private HEIs in the region filed applications for fee increases.

Of these, 10 have been approved after meeting the necessary requirements and conducting the required consultations.

In Cebu City, six of the nine applicant schools were granted approval, while in Cebu Province, four out of five were allowed to implement fee hikes. Meanwhile, in Bohol, four of six schools that applied were also given the green light.

No applications were filed in Negros Oriental.

Further, Reyes noted that the approved increases cover both tuition and other school fees such as miscellaneous charges and laboratory fees.

Some institutions, including members of the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA), also adjusted fees for specific items like campus beverages.

CHED-7 emphasized that 70 percent of the tuition increase proceeds must be allocated for the salaries and wages of teaching and non-teaching staff.

While some HEIs initially proposed increases higher than the regional inflation rate, these were revised upon the release of the official rate by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). The current cap stands at 4.4 percent for Central Visayas.

“Pero sa Region 7, wala tay institution na ni apply above,” Reyes said, noting that there are no applications in the region that exceeded the regional inflation rate.

CHED said that the application process includes mandatory consultation with stakeholders, including students, parents, and school employees.

The proposed increases must also be submitted and processed within a timeline set by CHED.

"Naa mani siya timeline nga gi follow so ang application ani is last early 2025," said Reyes.

All approved tuition and other school fee increases will be made public once the central office completes its final validation of applications that initially exceeded inflation rate.

"I-publish na namo once ma kompleto na ang kuan processing sa tuition and other school fees kay ongoing pa man sad ang central office sa approval sa mga institution nga ni apply above the regional inflation rate," she said

Reyes assured that efforts are being made to ensure that the new Tuition and Other School Fees (TOSF) rates are finalized and announced before the formal opening of the academic year.

Financial incentives

Meanwhile, Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas has reminded board exam passers and topnotchers from the city to submit their requirements for financial incentives by July 11.

In a Facebook post on July 1, Gullas announced that the city has begun accepting applications for second-quarter board passers—those who took licensure examinations released in April, May, and June 2025.

Eligible professions include medical technologists, physicians, electronics engineers and technicians, pharmacists, midwives, real estate brokers, registered electrical engineers, registered master electricians, civil engineers, nurses, speech-language pathologists, professional teachers, chemical engineers, dental hygienists, certified public accountants (CPAs), occupational therapists, physical therapists, and dentists.

The program also covers special professionals such as mechanical engineers, architects, professional electronics engineers, respiratory therapists, Philippine nurses, psychometricians, and others listed in the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) roster.

Applicants must submit the following documents to the Mayor’s Office at Talisay City Hall:

Original Barangay Certificate of Residency

Original Voter’s Certificate

Original Cedula

Original PRC Certification or Report of Rating

Screenshot or printout of the official PRC online results showing the applicant’s name

The deadline for submission is Friday, July 11, at 5 p.m.

Distribution of financial assistance is scheduled for July 30 at 9 a.m. at the Talisay City Sports Academy. — Giane Kate Pilapil Shyrielle Lariosa Gwyneth Lynn Geonzon CNU Journalism Interns (FREEMAN)