The year 2007 had ended but still the issue concerning the tuition fee increase still prevails. The inflation was implemented last year in all UP campus including UP Mindanao. It was an inevitable changed for blatantly UP really needs money to support the students as well as the facilities.
It was December 16, 2006 when the UP Board of Regents approved and agreed to increase all the fees within the whole UP units. The increase took its effect last June 2007 wherein its effects had received multitude negative feedbacks from the students. But the university stressed out that to continually support university's needs the only thing that could augment their income is through the tuition and miscellaneous fees paid by the students. The university can not stand alone from relying upon the government's support. The government had only limited sources and it is not enough to suffice the needs of the university.
One of its effects are the low accumulation of freshmen enrollees last year. Many of the UPCAT passers had just decided to enroll in other tertiary schools due to UP costly fees. It was alarming not only to the parents but as well as to the teachers. The university that has been known as economical and government subsidize is now competing to private schools due to high tuition fee increase. There are lots of intelligent students who are really willing to study but can not afford to pay the fees of the university. Some of them just preferred to enroll in other university that is more achievable to pay. Perhaps, several of them might fall to take up vocational courses which only last for months or for a year in order to get a higher education. But the education it provides doesn't assure their future success. But, for those family twho can't really afford to send their children to school will always remain hopeless to progress.
As a subsidized university, UP is responsible to help and cater empty-handed students to study particular those are really intelligent and deserving. However, due to excessive increase , the opportunity to have an excellent education UP offers is now impossible to achieve. It only shows that to have an education is not a right anymore but an option.
Through the constant negative complaints, Socialized Tuition Fee Assistance Program has been implemented. The program enables the student to expedite in paying costly fees of the university. UP President Roman had promised to offer better scheme that would help underprivileged students to pay. The old scheme which has Bracket 1-9 (9 as the highest) would be lowered down to Bracket A-E (E as the lowest). Each of the brackets has an assigned discounts and privilege. STFAP categories students who are eligible for tuition fee decrease based on their annual family income.
As an STFAP guarantee, the new scheme still can not help us to lessen our burdens in paying my tuition fees since my father is the only one working in the family. I am assigned in Bracket C with an income greater than 135,001 but less than 500,000 annually. If my mother luckily finds an extra job can further help us to augment our income but still it is not enough to support our needs. I have three siblings who all goes to school and we still have two cousins leaving with us. The salary my father earns every month is not really enough to suffice our daily needs. It is unfair for the new scheme only view what your family earns annually but doesn't consider how many are you in the family. For instance: I have a friend who is also an STFAP guarantee who is also assigned in Bracket C. She also gets 40% off in her tuition fee and that would be paying 7, 640 in one sitting. It was then a big help for she was the only child in their family. The inequality of categorizing bracket assignments discouraged me. We are assigned in a same bracket scheme but how come it is a relief to them but for us it is still a burden?
The tuition fee inflation brought chaos for everybody. As a premier university in our country, it is obliged to provide excellent education among students. However, that opportunity to have that education is slowly weakened by these increase. Lots of poor but deserving students are being repressed to pursue education. If we let this to continue, more and more students are deprive to go in the university due to excessive increase of tuition fees. Intelligence alone should be a sufficient guarantee to enter UP and to have UP education, not only because you had money to pay for.
The government itself has done nothing to help this thing to work out. They were lots of promises given and lots of actions that has once said but none of them came true and done. Government neglect maybe the other major reasons for the tuition fee increased.
A closest friend of mine shared a joke about the real meaning of the acronym of UP. Obviously, I knew what was it. But surprisingly, he instead say it as University for the Poor. I was laughing not because it was a joke but it somehow shows reality. But now that inflation continually affects the university's standing,maybe it would be better named as University for the Plosh. It may not sound good but it is now becoming a fact.
UP education should not be viewed something as an option but rather than as a right. As a Filipino, as a human, we had the right to have an education. It doesn't count whether your rich or poor to have a good and excellent education. Education should be attainable and accessible for all. We are learning at UP to serve the nation. We are not learning to be commercialized.
