BACOLOD CITY — About 3,500 students of the Bacolod City College (BCC) enrolled for the current school year can avail of free tuition and other school fees under Republic Act No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) starting June 13.
BCC Administrator Johanna Bayoneta said Tuesday they were informed by Commission on Higher Education 6 (Western Visayas) Director Cesar Medina that BCC is now qualified to offer the benefits under the free tuition law.
However, the BCC students still have to pay to be enrolled for the first semester since the school has yet to receive an advice from the commission’s central office for the processing of documents, she said.
The students will be later refunded.
“Those who will avail of all the benefits of the law will be subject to refund. We look forward that this will be implemented during the second semester so that all the (students) need to do is just enroll and not pay anything at all,” Bayoneta added.
At present, each BCC student pays PHP1,196 for 29 units, including miscellaneous fees. The school charges PHP30 per unit.
The expected 3,500 students for school year 2018-2019, include about 800 first year enrollees who are senior high school graduates, Bayoneta said.
She added that for this year, the BCC is also hiring additional teachers.
The BCC is among the five local universities and colleges (LUCs) in Western Visayas qualified to offer their students benefits under the UAQTEA.
The others are Bago City College in Negros Occidental, Iloilo City Community College, Passi City College in Iloilo province, and Libacao College of Science and Technology in Aklan.
Under the implementing rules and regulations of UAQTEA, enrolled college students need not pay for their tuition, miscellaneous and other similar or related fees.
The miscellaneous fees include library, computer, laboratory, school ID, athletic, admission, development, handbook, guidance, entrance, registration, medical, dental and cultural fees.
The students, however, should finish their college education within the four-year time frame. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
