Calling for an examination of the free college law in response to high dropout rates in state universities and colleges (SUCs)
In a recent statement, Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has urged an immediate action to strengthen the Free Higher Education Law in the Philippines, as expressed in his strong support for House Resolution No. 61. The focus is on expanding support mechanisms beyond tuition fee coverage to address high dropout rates and help students graduate.
Currently, nearly 40% of students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) drop out before finishing their degrees, with some regions experiencing rates above 50%. For instance, the dropout rate in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was 93.4%, while Zamboanga Peninsula reported a rate of 59.5%.
To address these concerns, Romualdez has proposed strategic interventions such as monthly stipends or living allowances, transport subsidies, food allowances, and digital access programs. These measures are aimed at filling critical gaps and ensuring that students not only enroll but also complete college, thereby making higher education a ladder out of poverty.
The need for these enhancements is further emphasized by the ongoing challenges with fully implementing complementary financial aid programs under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) law. For example, the UNIFAST body responsible for managing subsidies and scholarships has had partial implementation delays, affecting support beyond tuition fee waivers.
Romualdez's statements indicate a strong commitment to addressing the high dropout rates in various regions. He emphasized that the mission is not just to provide access to education, but to ensure completion. This commitment is reflected in the overwhelming public support for free tuition in SUCs, as a Pulse Asia survey conducted in January 2024 showed that 98% of Filipinos support free tuition in public colleges.
Romualdez stated that the Free Higher Education Law has changed millions of lives, but transformation is not complete when so many students are forced to drop out. He emphasized that it is important to make education a powerful equalizer, not an unfinished promise. He said that it is necessary to fund the Free Higher Education Law properly to give students a real chance at graduating.
In summary, the urgent action recommended involves amending the Free Higher Education Law to include comprehensive student support mechanisms—stipends, subsidies, allowances, and digital access—to reduce dropout rates and support college completion. This move recognizes that tuition coverage alone does not resolve the broader socio-economic barriers faced by students across the Philippines.
- The government in Manila, following the statements of Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, is considering amending the Free Higher Education Law to include comprehensive student support mechanisms in Zamboanga and other regions, as a response to the high dropout rates observed.
- In light of the ongoing challenges in implementing complementary financial aid programs under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) law, there is growing political interest in providing monthly stipends, transport subsidies, food allowances, and digital access programs to students in state universities and colleges (SUCs), as suggested by Romualdez.
- Beyond general news, the education-and-self-development sector is closely watching the proposed interventions by Romualdez, with the hope that these measures will help reduce the disparities in education outcomes between regions, such as Zamboanga Peninsula and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where dropout rates are particularly high.
){kind=link}