12 Cordillera colleges hike tuition, other fees

By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Amidst snowballing clamor for moratorium in tuition, 12 higher education institutions in Cordillera announced increase in enrolment and school fees for school year 2011-2012.

Based on a report from the Commission on Higher Education in the Cordillera Administrative Region, seven schools will increase tuition per unit while three others will increase their respective miscellaneous and other fees.

Two schools will only impose their proposed tuition increase to incoming freshmen students.

The CHED report said hike in tuition and other school fees range from 5 to 20 percent.

Kalos MA College in Baguio City reported the highest increase in its tuition at 20 percent, effective first semester this coming school year.

From the old tuition of P116 per unit, students will now have to pay P140 per unit.
The San Pablo Seminary will impose a 15 percent tuition increase and peg the price of each unit at P375.25.

The Eastern Luzon College in La Trinidad, reportedly owned by Korean and Filipino investors, will implement an 11-percent tuition increase while St. Louis College in Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga will increase its tuition rate by 10 percent.

The Luzon Nazarene Bible College will also increase its school fees by 10 percent followed by the University of Baguio at 8 percent while University of the Cordilleras decided to hike its school fees by 7.66 percent.

The Baguio College of Technology increased its miscellaneous and other school fees by 12 percent, Easter College, Inc. – and BVS College by 10 percent but only for the incoming freshmen.

The Baguio Central University will impose a 5 percent increase on tuition for incoming freshmen and the miscellaneous and other fees of the students in the higher levels.

On the other hand, St. Louis University imposed a 5 percent tuition hike for the incoming first year students and 4.5 percent of the students who are enrolled in the higher year levels.

However, 69 percent of the higher education institutions in different parts of the region decided not to increase their respective tuition and other school fees in recognition of difficult times.

Under the CHEd guidelines in allowing higher education institutions to implement increases in their respective tuition rates, 70 percent of the increase must go to the wages and benefits of school personnel; 20 percent to increase the salaries and benefits of teachers and non-teaching personnel; and only 10 percent will serve as the return on investment.