Students warn of relentless tuition hikes

Manila Standard Online
February 28, 2007

By Florante S. Solmerin

MEMBERS of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines are up in arms over the decision of the Commission on Higher Education suspending memorandum order 14 and effectively lifting the cap on tuition increases.

Ched made the move at the height of the consultation on the proposed tuition increases by higher education institutions, the students’ group said.

“The CHED suspension of CMO 14 is suspect as much as it is a betrayal of the students and their parents,” said Dion Carlo Cerrafon, SCMP chairman. “The result is like an automatic imposition of tuition and other fee increases.”

Leni Valeriano, SCMP vice chairman said that for many students and parents, the suspension of CMO 14 means “the comeback of relentless tuition and other fee increases. It will resurrect the uncapped tuition increases and takes our struggle a decade backwards.”

SCMP also calls on school administrators “not to take an opportunistic stance on this sudden back-tracking of CHED. We call on especially the colleges and universities run by the religious to restrain increases during this consultation period which is also the start of the Lent.”

SCMP cites the National Union of Students of the Philippines ‘ report that many schools had already proposed increases as high as 15 percent and 20 percent.

The University of Sto. Tomas, Philippine School of Business Administration and the Far Eastern University held their tuition consultation with students this week and yet to publicize its proposed increase.

SCMP called for a moratorium on increases in tuition and other fees. ###