House passes bill giving free college entrance exam to top-performing ‘underprivileged’ students

The plenary hall of the House of Representatives. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Monday approved on final reading a bill that would mandate private higher education institutions (PHEI) to waive the college entrance examination fees of top-performing “underprivileged” high school students and graduates.

With 197 affirmative votes, zero negative, and no abstention, the lower chamber approved House Bill No. 10555 or the “Free College Entrance Examinations Act.”

The proposed law covers underprivileged graduating high school students—as well as high school graduates—belonging to the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

Under the measure, underprivileged students or graduates are those whose parents live below the poverty line or belong to the poorest of the poor, as determined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the National Household Targeting System of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“All PHEIs offering degree-granting programs at the undergraduate level are hereby mandated to waive college entrance examination fees to underprivileged graduating high school students and high school graduates belonging to the top 10 percent of the graduating class who are applying for college admission,” the bill states.