STUDENTS claim that this year’s 10 percent tuition increase is illegal since the administration allegedly failed to conduct a consultation as required by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).
Even after their case was dismissed by the Ched, the Alliance of Concerned Thomasians (ACT-NOW) continues to criticize the University for the 10 percent tuition increase it imposed this school year.
Last March, ACT-NOW filed a case against UST for allegedly violating a Ched memorandum on tuition increase.
ACT-NOW member Romulo Yumul said the University violated Section 2.2 of Ched Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 13.
A certain part of the CMO states that the consultation period must be completed not later than Feb. 28 of the school year preceding the academic year when the intended increase shall take effect.
Yumul said the matter was not settled but the administration continued to hold consultations.
However, Vice-Rector for Finance Fr. Roberto Pinto, O.P. said there were no consultations held after Feb. 28.
“It was not a consultation. It was a meeting to address their (different colleges and faculties) problems in order to prepare for the coming school year,” Pinto said.
Although a consultation was held on Feb. 24, ACT-NOW members said the administration and the Central Board did not reach an agreement
“Parang fixed na sa mind nila na kailangang itaas (ang fees),” said Engineering Student Council president Genesis Tan.
Meanwhile, according to the CMO, “70 percent of the proceeds to be derived from the tuition increase shall be used for the payment of increase in salaries, wages, allowances and other benefits of its teaching personnel and other staff.” The CMO also states that the remaining 30 percent would go to the improvement of the school.
A member of Anakbayan-UST and ACT-NOW, V. J. Topacio said UST did not give its employees their full share of the 70 percent.
“Sabi nila (UST administrators), 87 percent iyung na-i-distribute. (But) for the past four years, 62-68 percent lang ang naibigay nila,” Topacio said.
However, Pinto denied the allegations saying that the University gave even more than what was due to its employees.
“If you look at the financial statement (for school year 1999-2000) of the University almost 90 percent (was given to our employees),” he said.
In addition, Yumul said there were still undistributed funds on top of the 70 percent increase that was supposed to be given to UST employees.
Yumul said that in some of the year levels, particularly in the third and fourth year, the tuition went up by 19.5 percent and 19.1 percent, respectively.
However, Pinto explained that the University used a “carry-over system” in increasing the fees.
In this system, the percentage increase will be added to the rate that each student paid in the previous school year.
In addition, Pinto said the University had to increase the energy fee to cull enough funds for Power 2000, the substation designed to provide the University’s energy requirements and to replace the cabling system. He added that the substation alone cost P50 million. Teodoro Lorenzo A. Fernandez
