CHED chief defends free college education program

MANILA, Philippines — If the government were to implement a nationwide test to filter the beneficiaries of free college tuition, it has to ensure that it is based on equity in the sense that underprivileged and poor students are given priority to qualify for government subsidy, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said yesterday.

CHED chairman Prospero de Vera III defended the free college tuition program of the agency, saying it is not a waste of state funding as it has helped some of the poorest families send their children to universities and finish their studies.

He said that proposing a nationwide test gauge like how the University of the Philippines administers its admissions test would be “disastrous,” as it would give students from rich families who have the money for review centers and can send their children to private institutions a better chance than families with little or no financial resources.

De Vera was referring to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s statements and proposal to “filter” those who should be entitled to free education through a nationwide test, saying the current free college education program regime is “inefficient and wasteful.”

“Shouldn’t we emphasize equity in higher education? Because they want an entrance exam for every one and then the only ones who can pass will be subsidized by the government. If the test is like the UPCAT (UP College Admission Test), it’s going to be disastrous,” De Vera said in an interview with ANC.

“Because those who passed the UPCAT are students coming from relatively rich families from urban areas who have the money to do review classes, have money to be prepared, etc. Is that what you want in this county?” he added.

Stressing that it is CHED’s responsibility to bring education to those coming from poor families, De Vera said he would only agree to a nationwide qualifier test if it focuses on “equity,” otherwise, he is opposed to such proposals.

The CHED chief also countered Diokno’s arguments that the program was wasteful due to the rising dropout rate, saying the dropout rate cannot be solely attributed to free tuition because many students had to leave school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of resources for day-to-day expenses.

“Shouldn’t the government, therefore, provide poor students with the capability to continue schooling?” he said.

De Vera also challenged all the critics of the free college tuition program to interview the beneficiaries to see how their lives have changed due to government subsidy.

For example, he shared that CHED is currently documenting the “first-generation graduate phenomenon,” wherein families have finally had a first graduate in their household.

“These are students first in their families to set foot in university. To graduate. And I ask the critics to join me and interview them… Their lives are changing because they got educated,” he said.

“In CHED, we recognize the tightened fiscal space and we are making the best of the available resources. We’re not asking for the moon, we’re not asking for doubling the budget for free higher education, but please, do not set it aside because the impact of this all over the country is really going to be disastrous,” he added.

Based on the 2024 National Expenditure Program, the Marcos administration plans to allocate P105.6 billion to state universities and colleges (SUCs).

Specifically, some P21.7 billion will fund the free tertiary education of about 3.15 million students nationwide.

A total of P924.7 billion will fund the education sector next year, equivalent to 16 percent of the record P5.768-trillion 2024 budget.

Scholarships

Amid the proposal to review the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE), labor group Federation of Free Workers (FFW) yesterday asked the government to provide scholarship grants to working students.

“We call on the government to give scholarships to working students, not only free tuition, but also book, transport and living allowances,” FFW official Dennis Gutierrez said.

“Limiting the fund for education is not in tune if the aim of the country is growth, development at helping every citizen,” Gutierrez added.

The government’s plan to reduce funding for education can lead to widespread challenges in the country’s future, according to the FFW official.

He pointed out that education remains the cornerstone of both individual development and the nation’s progress.

Reacting to Diokno’s call for a review of the UAQTE, FFW vice president Jun Ramirez said he could not understand how the less-than-one- percent investment in free education strains the government’s budget.

“The wealthy ones go to private schools or abroad, but we should make free college education a great equalizer, making it accessible to everyone, regardless of their economic status,” Ramirez added.

He stressed that the government should provide free access to quality education to anyone interested in pursuing higher education, whether one comes from a poor or wealthy background.

Despite the minimal allocation to free education, the program has played a crucial role in granting free college education to over two million students in SUCs, according to the group.

It said the UAQTE program has been a beacon of hope for countless underprivileged students, enabling them to pursue higher education and aspire for a brighter future.

“It has significantly reduced the financial burden on families of workers struggling to send their children to college,” the FFW said.

It added that education is not an expenditure, but an investment in the nation’s future.

The labor group urged Diokno and the Marcos administration to review its stance and allocate more funds for the UAQTE program to ensure that no deserving student is left behind due to financial constraints.