CHEd sees hike in tuition, other fees due to revenue loss inflicted by pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) on Monday raised the possibility of an increase in tuition and other fees in private higher education institutions (HEIs) due to revenue losses inflicted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

During a Senate committee hearing, CHEd Commissioner Aldrin Darilag said the commission has identified “specific challenges” brought about by the health crisis.

“First, we have a decline in enrollment for the succeeding semester. Second, revenue losses for private higher education institutions, hence, a foreseeable increase in tuition and other fees,” Darilag told senators.

The CHEd official also said that due to the pandemic, part-time and non-regular faculty members will likely be displaced.

He further raised concerns of faculty and students over “connectivity,” especially the “cost it entails.”

The preparedness of faculty and students to “transitions immediately to flexible learning modalities such as technology-mediated and blended modes of delivering” would also pose a challenge, according to Darilag.

“My modest and humble appeal to the Senate is to provide us assistance in meeting the financial requirements to fully utilize the objective of the consortium,” he said.

“Since CHED funding does not include any capital outlay, we cannot include in our request the purchase of ICT-related outlay and proprietary of learning equipment such as Brightspace or Blackboard,” he added.

Earlier, CHEd chairman Prospero de Vera III said no new merit scholarships will be granted this school year because of budget constraints in relation to the pandemic.

But he explained that all other grant programs like the reimbursement of tuition and miscellaneous fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs), the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), and the Student Loan Program (SLP) would continue as allocated funds remain intact.