By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
THE Commission on Higher Education (Ched) has given the green light to five of the six schools here that sought tuition increases this year.
John Banaynal, Ched chief education program specialist for Region 10, said the Commission approved the applications of Xavier University, Liceo de Cagayan University, Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro College, and Lourdes College.
Among the schools, Xavier would have the highest increase in tuition and miscellaneous fees at six percent, followed by Liceo and CU at five percent each, COC at four percent, and Lourdes College at three percent.
Banaynal said Ched was still evaluating the application of the Southern Philippines College for a 15-percent tuition increase. Had SPC’s application been approved, it would have topped the list.
He noted that SPC has not applied for a tuition increase since 2012.
Banaynal said he already sent letters to Xavier, Liceo, CU, COC and Lourdes, informing its adminsitrators that they could effect the increase starting this June.
He said Ched carefully evaluated the approved applications and saw the petitions to be justified as none went beyond the 5.58-percent “education rate deflator” ceiling set for Region 10.
“They complied with all the requirements,” he said.
Banaynal said the decision of the Ched regional office along with the school’s tuition-increase applications were sent to the Ched central office in Manila for review.
He said the chances of the decision being reversed were nil given that all the requirements were met and the increases would not go beyond the northern Mindanao ceiling.
Banaynal revealed this after the city council passed a resolution on Monday that urged the Ched to carefully go over the schools’ application and validate claims that proper consultations were conducted.
Consultations with students, teachers and parents on proposed tuition increases are a requirement set by the Ched.
But the city council’s resolution came a bit too late because the application papers were already approved even before Councilor Adrian Barba could raise his concerns before the local legislature.
Barba told the city council on Monday he doubted if the schools properly consulted all stakeholders.
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