No tuition fee shall be collected from Benguet State University undergraduate students starting the first semester of SY 2017-2018.
This was stipulated in the guidelines on the grant of free tuition in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for Fiscal Year 2017, jointly issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The number of students who may avail of the tuition subsidy shall be determined by the estimated tuition income of the SUC and only academically-able students shall be considered for the “free tuition.”
However, students who are beneficiaries of the nationally-funded Student Financial Assistance Program (StuFAP) shall be the first to be prioritized in the availment of “free tuition.”
After all StuFAP beneficiaries have been enrolled, continuing students are prioritized next. If there are remaining “free tuition” funds, new enrollees and returning students shall likewise be given corresponding slots.
BSU, and all other SUCs, will be assessing the eligibility of students to “free tuition.” Before the opening of the formal enrollment period, the University shall rank all assessed students according to the student prioritization procedure of “free tuition” 2017.
BSU students are advised to submit an original or certified true copy of one among the documents considered as proof of income during the pre-registration period, from June 26- July 1, 2017. These documents include Income Tax Return (ITR), BIR Form 2316, BIR Certificate of Exemption from Filing ITR, Barangay Certificate of Indigency, Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Certificate, Employment Contract for OFWs, and other government-issued documents that indicate income earnings of member(s) of the household who would be responsible for the financing of the student’s cost of education.
On the other hand, the “free tuition” will not cover laboratory and miscellaneous fees.
“The free tuition program is a big help to students. It would remove a ‘burden’ from the parents,” said Kezia Bandao, incoming BS Nursing III student.
Further, Walter Jensen, incoming Bachelor of Secondary Education IV student, said that the “free tuition” is an immense support for students who are financially struggling. “Students who also have single parents can take a breath because of the free tuition implementation.”
Eight Billion Pesos, under the provision for the Higher Education Support Program, is allocated to SUCs based on the estimated income from tuition fees of the respective SUCs for Fiscal Year 2017.**By Juman Kevin B. Tindo
