Photo by Chris Imperial (September 2012)
by Karen Macalalad
More than one out of 10 UP Diliman (UPD) students who applied for tuition discounts also requested for tuition loans during the second semester of academic year (AY) 2015 to 2016, according to data from the Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS).
A total of 1,728 out of 15,256 students under the Socialized Tuition System (STS) obtained loans in January, lower than the 1,861 recorded in the first semester, OSSS data revealed.
Around 40 percent of the loan applicants or 685 students already have 60 percent tuition discounts under STS, which prompts a payment of P12,800 for an 18-unit load this semester. A total of 399 student borrowers have 33 to 40 percent STS discounts.
STS grants tuition discounts ranging from the full cost of tuition with additional stipend to no discount, based on the socio economic background of each student’s family. The tuition scheme is a revamp of the 23-year old Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program implemented in the university until 2013.
On the other hand, tuition loans of as much as 100 percent of a student’s total assessed fees are available to students upon approval of the chancellor.
For the past three semesters, most of the student borrowers have applied for 80 percent loans, with 777 applicants for this semester. Meanwhile, a total of 500 students opted to loan 100 percent of their assessed fees in the previous registration period.
The OSSS has cited lack of cash at hand, delayed remittances, emergency expenses, and pending scholarship result as reasons for why student apply for loans.
“Ibig sabihin nito hindi makatarungan ang pagkakaroon ng mataas na tuition fee. May mga estudyante na hindi pa rin nakakapagbayad ng matrikula, walang kakayanan at kailangan magloan,” said Bryle Leaño, councillor of the UPD University Student Council.
Wrong discount bracket
One out of three STS applicants in UPD appealed for higher discounts during the first semester, while only one out of 10 students are assigned to full tuition discounts.
“Makikita sa mataas na bilang ng apela ang manipestasyon na hindi tumutugon ang ST System sa mga pangangailangan ng estudyante na abot-kayang edukasyon,” Leaño said.
Meanwhile, the number of student borrowers decreased from 3,006 in the first semester of AY 2013 to 2014, down to 2,160 in the first semester of AY 2014 to 2015. Such decline effectively decreased the amount of loans granted, from P40.14 million in 2014 to P22.73 million this semester.
The OSSS has been doing proactive measures to improve financial literacy among students beyond availing loans, such as improving their STS brackets and introducing scholarship programs to them, OSSS Officer-in-charge Niel Kenneth Jamandre told the Collegian in an earlier interview.
This decrease however does not mean that the STS decreased the amount of tuition paid by the students, Leaño said.
“Ang estudyante pinipili na maghanap ng ibang ways kaysa pagloloan para makapagbayad ng tuition fee. Meron ding iba na napipilitan mag-[leave of absence] at mag-[absence without leave] na lang… dahil hindi nila kayang magbayad,” he explained.
From AY 2013 to 2014 until the first semester of AY 2015 to 2016, a total of 633 students have yet to settle their loans to the OSSS. Failure to pay within four months from when the loans were granted will lead to a six percent annual interest.
Students will be tagged ineligible to enrol for the next semester unless they have settled their loans. The chancellor may allow deferring payment of loans for a maximum of three semesters, as stated on the revised Article 431 of the University Code.
Justifying tuition cost
Base tuition in UP rose to P1,500 per unit in 2014 from P1,000 per unit in 2011, as students who chose not to apply for STS were effectively given no tuition discounts. With the implementation of socialized tuition schemes in UP, tuition fee collection increased to P473.43 million in 2014 from P318.49 million in 2004, according to the latest report by the Commission on Audit.
A regular UPD student usually pays P766.32 per unit, higher than the 2015 national average tuition rate among public and private universities which amount to P611.23 per unit. Moreover, UPD students pay at least P2000 worth of miscellaneous fees every semester, which includes athletic fee and library fee, among others.
“Kung sa Bracket C at D almost one-third na yan ng binabayaran nila kada semester,” Leaño said.
In an ideal situation, students need not apply for loans and tuition discounts under the ST System, the councilor said.
“Ipinapakita ng administration na nakakatulong [ang loan] sa estudyante… ok lang na mataas ang tuition fee dahil may ST System at pwede ka naman mag-loan…I-register natin na gusto [nating] ipatanggal ang ganitong sistema [para sa] isang tunay na accessible education,” Leaño said.
Research by Karen Macalalad and Infographics by John Reczon Calay
Sources: ST System and OSSS data as of February 15, 2016