By Florante S. Solmerin
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?...s04_mar22_2006
PRIVATE schools planning to implement a tuition fee hike in the coming school year by using the government’s expanded value added tax (EVAT) as an excuse have been advised to be transparent about their charges.
“Private schools should be transparent about their financial standing before deciding to raise tuition,” Finance Secretary Margarito Teves noted in a statement.
He issued the warning after receiving information that some private schools intend to implement tuition fee increases this coming school year because of EVAT.
“Tuition and matriculation fees are not covered by EVAT, which took effect in June. They (private schools) should not use the Department of Finance or the government as an excuse to raise tuition and other fees,” Teves said.
Tuition increases have to be approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the government agency that regulates private colleges and universities.
“We do not intervene in the decision of schools to raise tuition,” said Teves.
He also urged school officials to explain to parents and students why any fee increase is needed.
In 2005, CHED records showed that of the 1,342 private schools all over the country, 205 or 17 percent filed applications for tuition increases.
In 2004 the average tuition increase was 11.37 percent amounting to P33.15 per unit. This went up 15 percent or P42.79 per unit, while miscellaneous fees (laboratory, student publication, library, energy, ID etc.) rose by 14.22 percent in 2005.
Earlier, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) accused CHED of favoring tuition increases this coming school year, citing the issuance of CHED Memorandum 14 that automatically allows colleges and universities to raise their tuition and other fees without consulting parents and students.
Jose Cosido, CEGP president, said the memorandum “has practically armed” private colleges and universities to further exploit students and their parents through exorbitant school fees.
Marco de los Reyes, president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), said CHED Memorandum 14 should be abolished as this “will allow school owners to increase tuition and other fees at will.”
Anticipating massive fee increases, militant students led by the Kabataan party-list group set up Tuition Monitor (TM), a hotline that students can use to report complaints or abuses that may be committed by school owners.