More and more Filipinos will have the chance to go to college after President Duterte signed the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act on August 3, 2017.
This law mandates free tuition in SUCs or state universities and colleges, LUCs or local universities and colleges and vocational schools under TESDA or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority starting the second semester of SY 2017-2018.
While many people are happy about this newly-signed law, some lawmakers and even the President himself, are a bit worried about the possible complications of this law. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said that the estimated budget for this law is around P100 billion and that the government does not have enough fund or budget for this in 2018.
However, the Senate Finance Committee and other lawmakers assured the public that they will find ways to fund this law because they support the main goal which is to provide access to higher education and better opportunities for the poor.
This law will be a huge help to poor families who have little to no means of sending their children to school.
Who can avail of the Free Tuition Fee 2017?
In the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2017-1 dated 20 April 2017, only academically-able students shall be considered for the Free Tuition 2017.
Students who are beneficiaries of nationally-funded StuFAPs shall be the first to be enrolled in the SUC, provided that the student meets the admission and retention policies of the institution.
StuFAP or Student Financial Assistance Program refers to a system of scholarships, grants-in-aid, student loans, subsidies, and other incentives for eligible students.
After all StuFAP beneficiaries have been enrolled, students shall be grouped into (1)
continuing and (2) new enrollees and returning. The priority are the continuing students and shall be given the Free Tuition slots in the following order, subject to the availability of the Free Tuition funds:
1. Graduating students with one semester remaining, regardless of household per capita income;
2. Graduating students with one academic year remaining, regardless of household per capita income;
3. Non-graduating students who belong to a household that is or was a beneficiary of 4Ps;
4. Non-graduating students who were never part of a household that is or was a beneficiary of 4Ps but still included in the Listahanan 2.0, ranked according to their estimated per capita household income; and
5. Non-graduating students ranked according to their per capita household income based on submitted documentation(s) for proof of income.
If there are remaining Free Tuition funds, new enrollees and returning students shall likewise be given the corresponding Free Tuition slots in the following order:
6. Graduating students with one semester remaining, regardless of household per capita income;
7. Graduating students with one academic year remaining, regardless of household per capita income;
8. Non-graduating students who belong to a household that is or was a beneficiary of 4Ps;
9. Non-graduating students who were never part of a household that is or was a beneficiary of 4Ps but still included in the Listahanan 2.0, ranked according to their estimated per capita household income; and
10. Non-graduating students ranked according to their per capita household income based on submitted documentation(s) for proof of income.
Complete List of State Universities and Colleges in the Philippines
Check out the list of state universities and colleges in the Philippines to know if there’s one near your area where you can enroll.
NCR (National Capital Region)
- Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Technology (EARIST)
- Marikina Polytechnic College
- PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
- PHILIPPINE STATE COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS
- POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
- RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
- TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
- UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
- PHILIPPINE GENERAL HOSPITAL (University of the Philippines Manila)
NCR (Under DBM)
- PHILIPPINE MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY
- MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY MAIN CAMPUS (Marawi)
- Mindanao State University (General Santos Campus)
- Mindanao State University (Maguindanao)Mindanao State University (Naawan)
- Mindanao State University (Sulu)
- Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology
- Mindanao State University – Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography
CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region)
- ABRA STATE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- APAYAO STATE COLLEGE
- BENGUET STATE UNIVERSITY
- IFUGAO STATE UNIVERSITY
- KALINGA-APAYAO STATE COLLEGE
- MOUNTAIN PROVINCE STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
REGION 1: ILOCOS
- DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
- ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
- MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
- NORTH LUZON PHILIPPINES STATE COLLEGE
- PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES
Region II: Cagayan Valley
- BATANES STATE COLLEGE
- CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
- NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
- QUIRINO STATE COLLEGE
Region III: Central Luzon
- AURORA STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
- BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY
- BULACAN AGRICULTURAL STATE COLLEGE
- BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- CENTRAL LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY
- DON HONORIO VENTURA TECHNOLOGICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
- NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- PAMPANGA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
- RAMON MAGSAYSAY TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
- TARLAC COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
- TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY
Region IV-A: CALABARZON
- BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
- CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
- LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
- SOUTHERN LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY
- UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM
REGION IV-B: MIMAROPA
- MARINDUQUE STATE COLLEGE
- MINDORO STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
- OCCIDENTAL MINDORO NATIONAL COLLEGE
- PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- ROMBLON STATE UNIVERSITY
- WESTERN PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY
Region V: Bicol
- BICOL UNIVERSITY
- CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
- CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
- CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
- CATANDUANES STATE COLLEGES
- DR. EMILIO B. ESPINOSA SR. MEMORIAL STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
- PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
- SORSOGON STATE COLLEGE
Region VI: Western Visayas
- AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
- CARLOS HILADO MEMORIAL STATE COLLEGE
- GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
- ILOILO STATE COLLEGE OF FISHERIES
- NEGROS STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
- NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
- NORTHERN NEGROS STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE
- WESTERN VISAYAS COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Region VII: Central Visayas
- CEBU NORMAL UNIVERSITY
- CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
- BOHOL ISLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
- NEGROS ORIENTAL STATE UNIVERSITY
- SIQUIJOR STATE COLLEGE
Region VIII: Eastern Visayas
- EASTERN SAMAR STATE University
- EASTERN VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
- LEYTE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
- NAVAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- NORTHWEST SAMAR STATE UNIVERSITY
- PALOMPON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- SAMAR STATE UNIVERSITY
- SOUTHERN LEYTE STATE UNIVERSITY
- VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
- UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
Region IX: Zamboanga Peninsula
- BASILAN STATE COLLEGE
- JOSEFINA H. CERILLES STATE COLLEGE
- JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE COLLEGE
- SULU STATE COLLEGE
- TAWI-TAWI REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
- WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
- ZAMBOANGA CITY STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
- ZAMBOANGA STATE COLLEGE OF MARINE SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
Region X: Northern Mindanao
- BUKIDNON STATE COLLEGE
- CAMIGUIN POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
- CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY
- Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology
- MINDANAO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- MISAMIS ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
- NORTHWESTERN MINDANAO STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Region XI: Davao Region
- Compostela Valley State College
- DAVAO DEL NORTE STATE COLLEGE
- DAVAO ORIENTAL STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES AGRI-BUSINESS AND MARINE AND AQUATIC SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES
Region XII: SOCCSKSARGEN
- ADIONG MEMORIAL POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
- COTABATO CITY STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
- COTABATO FOUNDATION COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- SULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITY
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO
Region XIII: CARAGA
- AGUSAN DEL SUR STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
- CARAGA STATE UNIVERSITY
- SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
- SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Click here to read CHED-DBM’s memo on the Grant of Free Tuition in State Universities and Colleges for Fiscal Year 2017.
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