Sixteenth Congress of the Republic 
Of the Philippincs 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 175 
Introduced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
'13 
JUL -1 
P4 :16 
Our educational system has been largely affected by the worsening condition of the 
economy. Last school year, some 376 private schools increased their tuition fees. For school year 
2001-2002, 400 out of 1,189 private colleges and universities (HEIs) nationwide raised their 
tuition fees. This accounts to 34% of the total number ofHEIs, nationwide. Ninety-three of these 
schools or 23.25% of schools that raised their tuition fees are in Metro Manila. 
The average tuition fee increase ranges from 10% in Region II and CAR to 15% in 
Region I and Region VII. In NCR, the average percent increase is 12%. Public colleges and 
universities charge lower tuition fees because they receive subsidy from the government. 
However, public colleges and universities are also in a tight financial fix because of drastic cuts 
in their budget in the last couple of years. This was brought about by the economic problems 
saddling the country and the policy of the government to reduce subsidy in higher education in 
order to increase the share of basic education. This seems to run counter with the Constitutional 
mandate that the government should provide quality and accessible education to all. ' 
This bill therefore aims to provide affordable access to quality education by rationalizing 
and/or reasonably regulating tuition fee rates increases in all educational institutions and 
instituting an effective and rational mechanism for fixing the tuition fee rate. It proposes the 
creation of Tuition Fee Rationalization Council, envisioned to be a multi-sectoral body to serve 
as the highest policymaking body on matters pertaining to tuition fee rates and other increases or 
adjustments in school fees. 


Sixteenth Congress of the Republic 
Of the Philippines 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 175 
Introduced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
AN ACT 
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'13 
.JUL -1 
P4 :16 
RATIONALIZING AND REGULATING TUITION AND OTHER 
SCHOOL FEES IN ALL HIGHER AND BASIC EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, 
CREATING A TUITION FEE RATIONALIZING COUNCIL, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House a/Representatives a/the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Tuition Fee Rationalization Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - Section I, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution 
mandates the protection and promotion of the right of all citizens to quality and affordable 
education at all level and that the State shall take appropriate' steps to make such education 
accessible to alI. Section 13, Article II, further recognizes the role of the youth in nation-building 
and promotes and protects their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. In 
view of these, the following are hereby declared the objectives of this Act. 
a. To promote affordable access to quality education by rationalizing andlor reasonably 
regulating tuition fee rate and increases in all educational institutions including other 
fees: 
b. To provide all educational institutions with accredited program greater flexibility and 
autonomy in tuition fee rate fixing andlor tuition fee increase adjustments; 
c. To establish a Tuition Fee Rationalization Council which is envisioned to be a multi-
sectoral body that shall serve as the highest policy-making body on matters pertaining 
to tuition fee rates and other increases or adjustments in school fees; and I 
i 
d. To provide an effective and rational mechanism for fixing the tuition fee rates and 
adjustments in other school fees in all educational institutions including those to be 
adopted by the boards of State Universities and Colleges that is acceptable to 
concerned stakeholders taking into account socio-economic and other considerations 
and safety nets. 
SECTION 3. Coverage. - a) Tuition Fees- As a general rule, public and private 
academic and technical institutions shall be allowed to impose tuition fee increases andlor 
adjustments without any prior consultations, on incoming freshmen students in the secondary 
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and tertiary lev~l, and in the first and fifth grade in the elementary level only. There shall be no 
tuition fee increases andlor adjustments in all other year levels. 
The tuition fee increases which may be allowed to be imposed shall not exceed fifteen 
percent (1 5%) of prevailing rates: Provided, however, That any proposed tuition fee increase 
andlor adjustment in excess of the stipulated percentage affecting not only the segment of 
students stated above but all other years level including those to be imposed by State universities 
and Colleges shall be subject to the approval of the National Tuition Fee Rationalization Council 
andlor its regional council having jurisdiction and on a case-to case basis. 
b) Other school fees- The amount of other school fees to be collected from students in the 
freshmen level of the secondary and tertiary institutions, and from the first grade and fifth in the 
elementary level shall in no way be more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount collected 
as tuition fee for the semester to which the student is currently enrolled: Provided, further, That 
an imposition of more than fifteen percent (15%) in tuition fees and twenty-five percent (25%) in 
the case of miscellaneous fees may be allowed after the concerned schools shall have conducted 
thorough consultations and hearings, and the examination of financial records and the 
determination of the distinct requirements and conditions of schools shall have been assessed by 
the Council. 
c. Exemptions - Schools andlor courses classified under Level III Accreditation duly 
recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CRED), the Department of Education 
(DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as the case 
may he, and whose categorization standards are duly affirmed by the major association of private 
and state institutions shall enjoy autonomy in fixing the rates oftheir tuition fees andlor any rates 
increase or adjustment with respect to the accredited programs/courses only and subject to 
minimal and reasonable guidelines from the Council. 
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
a. Student- shall refer to any person enrolled in school in the elementary, secondary, and 
tertiary levels including those enrolled in vocational and technical education. 
b. School- shall refer to any academic institution of learning, public or private, offering any 
or all courses in the above mentioned levels. 
c. Board- shall refer to the governing board of the school, such as the hoard of directors, 
trustees or regents, which represents its highest policy-making body. 
d. Council- shall refer to the Tuition Fee Rationalization Council which shall serve as the 
highest policy-making body on matters pertaining to tuition and other school fees and 
which shall have regional counterparts for efficient rate fixing and determination. 
e. Tuition- shall refer to the fee representing direct costs of instruction, training and other 
related activities, and the use of school facilities. 
£ Other school fees- shall refer to fees which cover other necessary costs supportive of 
instruction, including but not limited to medical and dental, athletic, library, laboratory, 
and citizens military training (CMT) fees. 
g. Tertiary- shall refer to the higher learning level after high school which includes those 
offering baccalaureate degrees or four (4) to five (5) year courses andlor technical 
vocational programs. 
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h. Secondary- shall refer to the middle segment in the educational system comprising a 
four-year program after attendance from elementary or grade school level. 
i. Grade School. shall pertain to the level of education which constitutes four (4) years of 
primary learning and two (2) or three (3) years of intermediate training usually for 
children with age levels of 6-1 3 years. 
j. Level III Accreditation- shall refer to a classification conferred to an institution and/or 
any of its program courses by a recognized accrediting body based on certain quality 
indicators and standards duly recognized by the DepEd, the CRED or the TESDA as the 
case may be, and prescribed by the national accrediting arm of the major association of 
private and state institutions. 
SECTION 5. Establishment of the National Tuition Fee Rationalization Council 
(TFRAC) and its Regional Counterpart. - Within thirty (30) days after the effectivity of this 
Act, the National Tuition Fee Rationalization Council (NTFRAC) shall be established to be 
composed of the following: the Chair of the CRED as Chair; the Secretary of the DepEd as co-
chair; the Director-General of the TESDA as vice-chair; and with the following as members: 
representatives of the House of Representatives' Committee on Higher and Technical Education 
and the Committee on Basic Education and Culture, the Senate Committee on Education, the 
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Philippine Association of State 
Universities and Colleges; one (I) representative each from these sectors: parent, legitimately 
recognized students' organizations, leading associations of private higher and basic education 
institutions, major aggmpation of technical education institution, faculty associations as well as 
other sectors which may he deemed indispensable by the Council. 
A regional Tuition Fee Rationalization Council (RTFRAC) shall also be established in all 
the regions of the country whose membership shall include the DepEd, the CRED, the TESDA, 
and NEDA regional directors, and representatives from the provincial school boards, faculty 
associations student councils, parent-teachers association (PTA), form the association of private 
schools, and from a recognized association of state institution. 
The manner and procedure of selecting and appointing representatives and/or members of 
the Council from the different sectors other than those directly identified shall be made jointly by 
the Chairperson of the CHED, the Secretary of the DepEd, and the Director- Gyneral of the 
TESDA based on a criteria that shall be instituted for the purpose. 
. 
SECTION 6. Office and Expenditure. - Every member of the Council shall serve in an 
ex-officio capacity without compensation from the govermnent except for travel and other actual 
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. 
SECTION 7. Administration and Enforcement. - After due investigation and proper 
observance of due process, any person, natural or juridical, found willfully violating any 
provisions of this Act and its implementing rules, shall be subjected to the appropriate 
administrative sanctions, including the suspension or revocation of the school's license to 
operate, disqualification from enjoying tuition fee rate increases or adjustment, and/or the 
imposition of reasonable penalties and administrative fines. 
SECTION 8. Penal Provisions. - Any person who shall willfully violate or commit any 
act intended to defeat any provision of this Act and its implementing rules, shall, upon 
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, " 
conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than Fifty thousandJ1esos (P50, 000,00) nor more 
than One hundred thousand pesos (PIOO, 000,00) or imprisonment of not less than one (1) year 
nor more than five (5) years, or both at the discretion of the court, 
Any school found likewise to have violated the provisions of this Act and its 
implementing rules shall be fined the amount of not less than Five hundred thpusand .pesos 
(P500,000,00) but not more than One million pesos (PI,OOO,OOO.OO). 
Pursuant thereto, the DepEd, the CHED, and the TESDA shall he empowered to 
investigate violations of this Act as well as the implementing rules and regulations and other 
issuances appurtenant thereto, and for this purpose shall have the power to issue summons, writs, 
orders, subpoena and subpoena duces tecum to secure the attendance of witnesses and the 
production of documents in connection with the charges presented. 
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Upon the approval of this Act 
and within the sixty (60) days after the Council shall have been constituted, the Council shall 
formulate the rules and regulations (JRR) to implement the provisions of this Act. Public 
hearings and consultation may be conducted to facilitate the drafting of the lRR. 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - In case any provision of this Act or portion thereof 
is declared unconstitutional by a competent court, other provisions shall not be affected thereby. 
SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. - Any provision of laws, order, proclamations, rules 
and regulations, or part thereof, which are inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby 
repealed and modified accordingly. 
SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect (15) days following its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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