Photo: Facebook/Senator Imee R. Marcos
On August 5, Wednesday, during a virtual hearing, members of the Senate and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) questioned why private schools have continued to maintain the same or increase its tuition and miscellaneous fees despite the shift of colleges and universities to digital or online delivery of education.
Under Senate Resolution 480, filed by Senator Imee Marcos, Marcos noted that some schools do not fully disclose the breakdown of its fees, such as laboratory, internet, and computer fees, which would not be fully utilized amid the halt of face-to-face classes. Senator Pia Cayetano agreed that colleges and universities must continue to keep parents in the loop with regard to the use of its recurring tuition fees.
Marcos has called for a probe to look into the reported “unnecessary” fees.
Earlier in August, CHED Chair Prospero de Vera III shared that a number of private universities had applied for a tuition fee increase, emphasizing that the problem stems more from parents not knowing the reasons behind these increases. De Vera also pointed out that while CHED has determined the expenses related to flexible learning, it is difficult to come up with a “unilateral structure” for fees.
De Vera has appealed for a consortium for colleges and universities to extend its materials to other schools that may not be as equipped.
