The Philippines now grants a free college education to all its citizens.
The CHED (Commission on Higher Education), the Philippine government agency regulating the operation of Universities and Colleges in the Philippines said that Filipino students can now expect the full implementation of the recently signed law granting free tuition in all state-run universities and colleges in the country by June 2018.
The Philippines now belong to a few countries where college education can be 100% free.
Some of the countries with free college education are the following:
Students enrolled or who wish to enroll in state-run universities and colleges nationwide will no longer have to pay for their tuition and other standard miscellaneous fees, as enumerated in the law.
These Miscellaneous and other fees are the following:
- library fees
- computer fees
- laboratory fees
- school id fees
- athletic fees
- admission fees
- development fees
- guidance fees
- handbook fees
- registration fees
- medical and dental fees
- entrance fees
- cultural fees
This is good news for incoming and present students of the more or less 112 state universities and colleges. Some of the prominent ones are the University of the Philippines and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
The law granting free college education was signed by the President of the Philippines on August 4, 2017.
Some members of the cabinet of the Philippine President advised him to veto the bill before it became a law because of the negative effects of a free college education.
The Disadvantages of free college education, according to one member of the cabinet, are great.
The funds needed could run to about Php100 billion annually according to the initial estimates to grant free tuition. The Estimate was based on 1.7 million students.
The benefits of free college education outweigh the disadvantages. More Filipinos will be able to attend college and finish a course.
Having a college degree will afford more Filipinos better career opportunity and
higher earning potential which is good for their family and for the nation.
Do you know of any other country with tuition-free universities? Make a comment below…
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