Western Visayas schools to hike tuition

College students in Western Visayas should expect an increase in tuition after the Commission on Higher Education approved the proposal of 30 higher education institutions for fee hike in the coming academic year 2013-2014.

Virginia Resurrecion, CHED Regional Director for Region 6, said out of 38 proposals for fee increase, the commission approved 30 applications covering private universities, colleges and other education institutions.

The 9-percent fee increase, CHED said, is lower than the 9.48-percent hike approved in 2012.

Resurrecion said the hikes were proposed to cover the institutions' increase in salary and benefits of faculty and staff, to improve school facilities and to acquire new equipment.

Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines-Visayas, Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST), West Visayas State University (WVSU), Guimaras State College, Antique National School, Aklan State University, Negros Occidental College of Agriculture and the many satellite campuses of WCVST and WVSU in the region are not allowed to raise fees following the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges' resolution on tuition moratorium.