A panel in the House of Representatives has created a technical working group to fine-tune the bill instituting free college education for indigent students.
The House committee on higher and technical education, chaired by Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Ann Hofer, backed House Bill 181, the proposed “Free College Education for Indigent Students Act.”
The measure invokes the constitutional mandate of providing indigent students ample opportunity to pursue a tertiary education. State colleges and universities, and private educational institutions should contribute to the instruction of indigent students, Hofer said.
“Towards this end, schools covered by the Act are obliged to admit, free of tuition, indigent students/ beneficiaries the number of whom shall be at least 10 percent of the total paying freshman enrolees per semester for each tertiary school and for each course,” the lawmaker said, quoting the bill.
The 10 percent shall be based on the actual number of paying freshman students in the immediately preceding semester, said Hofer.
In pushing for the bill’s enactment, Quezon City Rep. Vincent Crisologo, the bill’s author, said: “Up to now, those who have less in life have always been hoping for the day that they could send their children to college free of tuition.”
The bill defines an indigent family as one whose income does not exceed P15,000 per month. Family income refers to the combined gross income of the students’ parents. It does not include the income of the other members of the family.
According to the bill, a family is not considered indigent if it owns real property or a vehicle. The real property does not include the parcels of land given by the State or any of its instrumentality to informal settlers. The real property referred to under the Act refers to a property acquired through sale.
The admission to school shall be on a first-come first-serve basis. If there is no more slot in the school preferred by the beneficiary, he/she may still enroll in another school that still has remaining slots.
It shall be the obligation of the schools covered by the Act to admit or enroll qualified beneficiaries endorsed by the Regional Scholarship Board and extend these beneficiaries free of tuition.
To qualify for free college education, the student must be a graduate of senior high school immediately preceding the next school semester of the school he/she wishes to enroll.
A student shall also be qualified to avail of the program if he or she comes from an indigent family.
Also, if the student passes the usual qualifying examination for admission of the school.
Most of all, the student must be without any derogatory record, or must not be accused in, or adjudged by, a competent court, as having committed an offense or crime under Philippine laws.
The bill prohibits schools from discriminating against indigent beneficiaries. Those who discriminate shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of six months and 11 days to two years, or payment of a fine of P200,000, or both.
The bill mandates the Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to promulgate the implementing rules and regulations for the effective implementation of the Act. The IRR shall be approved by the House of Representatives.
