Senators praise enactment of 'Free College Entrance Examinations Act'

Senators welcomed the latest development in the country’s higher education system as the “Free College Entrance Examinations Act” has lapsed into law and took effect immediately.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero hailed its passage, saying the legislation was a significant milestone in the pursuit of accessible higher education as it aims to alleviate financial burdens for deserving students. 

“Our proposed legislation, which compels private higher education institutions (HEIs) to waive college entrance examination fees and charges for eligible students seeking college admission, has now been fully enacted,” Escudero said as he emphasized the importance of equal opportunities for all aspiring college students.

The Senate President said he received confirmation from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin that Senate Bill (SB) 2441— a measure that he championed during his tenure as the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education chairperson, lapsed into law last 14 June. 

The SB 2441 consolidated the bills filed by Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Mark Villar, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, and Raffy Tulfo. 

“This is another milestone in our quest to make education accessible for everyone. Now, we can look forward to a more equitable and inclusive educational landscape,” Escudero said. 

He further stressed that the RA 12006 stands as a “testament to the power of Executive-Legislative collaboration and the unwavering dedication to providing quality education for all.”

Under the new law, students are exempt from paying examination fees and charges if they are natural-born Filipino students; belong to the top 10 percent of their graduating class; and, if they belong to a family whose combined household income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) or cannot afford to provide for their minimum basic needs duly certified as such by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The law also allows students to avail of the waived entrance exam fees once they satisfy all other requirements specified by the private HEI.

Escudero said the waiver would apply to any private HEIs within the country. 

The law authorizes the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to determine and impose sanctions against private HEI officials and employees who fail or refuse to comply with the provisions of the law.

"Certain entrance exam fees are equivalent to a day's minimum wage, which means that taking the exam could result in foregoing meals for an entire family,” said Escudero.

“Hopefully, the new law will address this issue. No family should go hungry for a day because they've traded food money for an examination fee,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Revilla said the new law aims to “democratize access to quality tertiary education by exempting disadvantaged but academically excellent students” from paying examination charges for college admission.

“I hope many deserving students will benefit from this new law. This time, parents would no longer have to worry about the examination fees of their children,” he said. 

Revilla also thanked Escudero for pushing hard for the passage of the measure. 

As the legislators are keen that the new law would benefit people, some Filipino citizens expressed their two cents on the incoming implementation of the new law.

Jofel Delicana said the requirement of being "below the poverty threshold is a game-changer.”

“Imagine a supposedly qualified person struggling in life but "not struggling enough. For context, according to authorities, in 2023, for a family of 5 to be below the poverty threshold, the income must be below Php 13,797 per month, give or take. If this will be the basis for said scholarship, the intent of the law might be distorted by the devil in the details of its implementation.,” he said. 

Minaira Salik cited what students will have to go through before they can avail of the free college entrance examination. 

“Acquiring certifications will also incur expenses such as indigence certificates from barangay and DSWD,” she said.

Al Ammen Silo said the law should reflect “across all” and be expanded to those deserving students who were not included in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. 

“There were many students who do have potential but have lower grades because of circumstances, that sometimes, they cannot control,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Calvin Penaco sees enactment of the law as "generally beneficial."

He argued the “restrictions are understandable” as we can't expect the government to shoulder the costs for a huge number of students.

“So the limited funds allocated for this should go to those who deserve and need them the most. It won't help everyone, but it will certainly help a lot,” he added.