The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) is expecting an increase of college enrollees for the coming school year.
This developed as the first batch of K-12 students graduated this year and the Republic Act 10931 or the the Universal Access to Tertiary Education Act of 2017 would be fully implemented this year.
Dr. Prospero E. De Vera III, the officer-in-charge of Ched, said that there was a decrease of enrollees in the school year 2017 to 2018 in state universites and colleges (SUCs); and local universities and colleges (LUCs).
“However, he said that this year they are expecting more enrollees. (Because) We are going to welcome the K-12 students,” De Vera said.
De Vera said that last school year there were only less than one million enrollees all over the country in SUCs and LUCs.
“This school year we are expecting 1.2 million enrolees from first year to fourth year,” De Vera added.
In Central Visayas, Ched-7 Director Freddie Bernal said that last school year there were only 218,000 enrolees in SUCs and LUCs in the region.
“We have a conservative estimate of 230,000 enrollees this coming school year,” said Bernal.
He said that these enrollees, who are from first year to fourth year, do not include the enrollees in private schools and beneficiaries of Tesda (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) — technical and vocational schools.
Meanwhile, Ched hosted an information caravan regarding the Universal Access to Tertiary Education Act in Hoopsdome, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Friday (April 13).
De Vera said that students of state university and colleges had not paid tuition since June 2017 because of the enactment of that law.
He, however, clarified that students would still undergo admission tests, and if the students would pass these tests then they would enjoy schooling without paying any tuition.
“The law does not guarantee (a student can go to college without passing admission test) but it only increases options for students,” de Vera said.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, who welcomed the participants, expressed that quality education is a right and not a privilege.
Officials of Ched-7, and representatives of educational institutions, local government units and non-government associations joined the event.
This is the fourth stop of the information caravan.
Ched had already conducted the information caravan in Zamboanga, Palawan and Iloilo.