Students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) do not have to pay tuition starting next year, following the realignment of P8.3 billion in the 2017 budget of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).STAR, file
Last year, there comes the news that the government will implement a free tuition fee on tertiary level. Many of our fellow Filipinos got overjoyed since receiving this news. A lot of us renewed their hopes of studying without a lot of worries especially of the funds and resources to supply their educational needs. But, there are still side announcements by other organizations that the project is said to be finalized yet by the government. The free tuition on College isn’t for all of the Filipino students but only to the recipients of the 4P’s.
Most of the Filipinos are intelligent but lacking financial funds to support their education. We have a lot of families that is striving hard to sustain their everyday needs and not accommodate their studies instead; they spend for their primary needs which is Food. Other young minds run errands at their young age and hoping that they could save some for their studies in the future. But unfortunately, most of them cannot collect enough funds to support the whole school year. Needless to say but the government should put much support onto the Educational system.
It is a struggle to still not be composed and worried of this issue because supposedly, we should rest this issue and get excited about it. It will be a hanging news as of the moment as the Universities involved regarding the matter still awaits for the best response and proper delegation of budget to spread to the whole country.
For now, all we can do is to hope for the best and pray. The future still lies on the hands of our youths. It will be a very changed and successful country if at least most of our fellow countrymen are well educated. It can provide us with more job opportunities, a lot of industries, and new innovations to help us further compete globally. Let us all be reminded that if we all continue to study and spread knowledge, there would have less chaos, crimes, and abuses. We can have a clean and disciplined country as this will be the manifestation of decent and well taught individuals.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/12/17/1654307/free-tuition-state-schools-next-year
By: Ellen D. Baluyot, LPT
