364 colleges, universities to raise tuition by 10%

MANILA, Philippines – About 364 of the 1,800 private colleges and universities in the country have informed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of tuition fee hikes this coming school year.

Dr. William Medrano, CHED executive director, said the average tuition increase from last school year’s rate was 9.93 percent, equivalent to P38.92 per unit.

CHED figures showed that the average tuition fee per unit for the coming school year was P437.10.

Region X had the highest number of higher education institutions (HEIs) that imposed tuition fee hikes, with 27 out of 80 increasing their tuition rates on an average of 7.83 percent, compared to the previous school year’s rates.

The National Capital Region (NCR) had the second highest number of HEIs in its jurisdiction that imposed tuition fee hikes, with 90 out of 309 hiking fees on an average of 8.51 percent from last school year.

NCR HEIs also had the highest average tuition fee per unit at P855.20.

Metro Manila is home to the country’s most prestigious private universities that were among the schools that hiked tuition fees, such as the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, and the University of Santo Tomas.

Other NCR HEIs that imposed higher fees are the University of the East, Far Eastern University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Jose Rizal University, Adamson University, Miriam College, St. Scholastica’s College, San Beda College and many others.

Next to NCR is Region IV-A whose HEIs had an average tuition fee per unit at P594.10.

The region with the lowest tuition fee per unit was Region XII with P234 per unit.

HEIs in the Bicol region or Region V had the highest percentage increase in tuition fees from the previous year at 17.64, followed by Region I with 14 percent, Region IV-A at 12.01 percent and Region IV-B at 10.64 percent.

Medrano said the figures were based on the application for tuition fee increase submitted by the HEIs to CHED. Last Thursday was the deadline for submission of tuition fee hike.

Earlier this year, President Arroyo issued an order suspending a CHED memorandum order which set a tuition fee increase limit equivalent to the inflation rate set by the National Economic and Development Authority.

The current inflation rate is said to be at 8.3 percent.