PARENTS of incoming freshmen better prepare their cash earlier than usual if they really want Thomasian education for their children.
Starting next school year, applicants must pay a compulsory P5,000 “confirmation fee” to secure a spot in their preferred programs, Office for Admissions (Ofad) director Mecheline Zonia Manalastas said.
“(The fee is for) the parents (to) say, ‘I have already invested P5,000, I know I will let my child study in UST’,” she added.
The reservation scheme aims to reduce the number of students who confirm their enrolment, but would eventually not enroll, Manalastas said, citing observations by University deans at the Academic Senate.
Data from the Ofad showed that of the 10,512 students who confirmed ahead of the previous semester, only 10,244 enrolled. As a result, applicants on the wait list who really wanted to study in UST were left hanging until June, she said.
As a policy, applicants who passed in the program of their first or second choice are on priority over those on the waiting-list. A college can only accept waiting applicants if slots are still available after a screening process.
The fee will force those who are not sure of studying in UST to not confirm at all, giving waiting applicants a chance, Manalastas said.
“If you are not sure (if you will study in UST), don’t pay the (confirmation) fee anymore,” she said. “Once you confirm, it is understood that your first choice is UST.”
The fee, to be paid during the enrolment confirmation day, three weeks before the enrolment, will help every college and faculty map out their respective academic plans for the coming school year by assessing the number of students, she said.
Ofad has released the list of successful applicants for next school year earlier than usual to give parents time to save money for the fee and for the enrolment.
“Just the same, the confirmation fee will be deducted from the amount (that) they have to pay upon enrolment,” she added.
Manalastas said other universities also have reservation fees “higher than P5,000.”
In previous school years, the P5,000 fee was imposed only on confirmed applicants who lacked the requirements for enrolment. Prinz P. Magtulis
