Militants score CHED for lying on school fee hikes

MANILA, Philippines -  The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) lambasted the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) yesterday for making a false claim that there was no fee increase at state universities and colleges (SUCs) all over the country.

NUSP secretary general Vanessa Faye Bolibol said some schools imposed new fees and increased their tuition rate. She alleged that the Pangasinan State University increased its tuition rate from P130 to P175 per unit while the Don Honorio Ventura State University hiked its tuition rate from P150 to P175 per unit.

“We denounce CHED for misleading the public on the issue of tuition hikes in SUCs,” Bolibol said.

Bolibol said that their Campus Watch Campaign also identified a number of SUCs that imposed new fees. She said CHED had earlier pronounced that aside from SUCs foregoing any tuition hike, there would also be no imposition of new fees.

Among the SUCs that reportedly created new fees are the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, which imposed a sports fee of P15; PUP San Pedro, an assessment fee of P2,000; the University of the Philippines, a physical education fee ranging from P150 to P350; and Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, a miscellaneous fee of P2,500.