Protest greets enrollees as tuition collection set to continue
C.J. Palpal-latoc and Paul Christian Yang-ed
Several student organizations rallied at the CS Atrium noon yesterday after UP President Danilo Concepcion issued a memorandum stating that collection of tuition and other fees will continue in the coming semester.
Students from the College of Science Student Council (CSSC), Anakbayan, and League of Filipino Students (LFS) carried placards and a banner calling for “Libreng Edukasyon, Walang Koleksyon,” (Free Education, No to Collection) and for the abolition of the Socialized Tuition ‘scam.’
The memo, addressed to all UP Chancellors, enjoins all UP units to use the Socialized Tuition (ST) System and the scheme outlining the university’s separate Student Financial Assistance (SFA) program this coming term to assess students’ tuition and miscellaneous fees.
To avail “tuition subsidy” or “financial support,” students must submit an application form with the required documents presumably via the Student Financial Assistance Online program. Students who did not apply for the ST System or SFA program have to sign an oath behind their Form 5’s, stating that they will not be entitled to tuition refund according to an advisory purportedly released by the Office of the University Registrar. College Secretary Christine Hernandez later revised the rule removing the part where the signatory is no longer required to recognize that there will be no tuition refund.
Concepcion’s announcement drew mixed reactions of passivity and frustration from CS students. Bea, a third-year Bio student, explains that she is not that aware about the issue on free tuition and free education. “Kung ano na lang magiging desisyon nila, eh di good,” she says.
“Not a lot of students know the premises of free tuition. Yung statement ni Chancellor [Tan] ‘di clear [kung] sinuspend o dinelay lang ba [yung tuition collection],” says Trish, a third-year MBB undergraduate.
On the other hand, John, a third-year Math student, said: “May budget naman para sa free tuition, dapat ibigay na lang nila. Wag na nila kurakutin.” John told Scientia that he was supposedly not going to enroll this semester due to financial problems. After learning about the Duterte Administration’s free tuition program, he insisted on continuing his studies, in the belief that tuition would be free. John is a Bracket D student who came from Pangasinan. Asked about what he intended to do next, he told Scientia that he would join “whatever” activity the protesters are planning to do in connection with the free tuition issue.
CSSC Councilor Audrey Atienza lamented that the students do not understand the issue of free tuition and free education that much. “‘Di pa nila fully grasped [yung issue]. ‘Di pa sila really handang sumama [sa mobilization],” she said. Atienza attended the protest rally.
Nevertheless, CSSC Chairperson Xian Guevarra urged students to continue fighting against tuition collection. “Labanan pa rin natin yung pangongolekta ng tuition…Nangongolekta pa rin sila [UP Admin] ng tuition kahit may budget naman na,” he said. Science advocates’ group Agham Youth earlier released a study in Scientia showing that the budget for free tuition for this Academic Year 2017–18 is enough to cover for all students of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), including UP.
For now, students have to complete the enrollment process until validation and wait for their fees assessment. The deadline of payment for tuition and other school fees was set on August 25.
