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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
SENATE 
SENATE BILL NO. 
215 
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INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Early this year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) received 
2,000 requests to increase tuition fees for the academic year of 2013-2014. 
Three hundred requests were granted. In Metro Manila, about 100 education 
institutions are set to increase their tuition fees giving much burden to the 
families of ordinary wage earners. 
The Philippine educational system has been largely affected by the 
worsehing condition of the economy. In 2011, some 376 private learning 
institutions increased their tuition fees. For school year 2009-2010, more than 
50% of the private college~ and universities nationwide raised their tuition fees. 
Ninety-Three of these schools that raised their tuition fees are in Metro Manila. 
The average tuition fee increase ranges from 10% in Region II and CAR, 
in other Regions such as Region I and VII, it raised to about 15%. In the 
National Capital Region, the average increase is 12%. State Universities and 
Colleges charge lower tuition fees due to the fact that they receive subsidy fr()m 
cthe National Government. Although, the SUCs have received the much-needed 
relief when the National Government increased its subsidy, however, there 
should be an effective mechanism that will ensure that no huge budgetary cuts 
would occur in the future. 
State Universities and Colleges are confronted by similar problems as 
that of private tertiary educational institutions, Poor education spending and 
budget <;outs like in the past force state schools to impose inrolment quotas and 
increase fees, forcing many 'lskolar ng Bayan' to leave. 
The case of UP Manila student, Ms. Kristel Tejada has only woved that 
education in the Philippines has become a commodity that only thd privileged c 
especially the rich can afford. The State must now interfere in ordef to ensure 
that quality education must be accessible to all. 
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This measure therefore aims to provide affordable access to quality 
education by rationalizing or reasonably regulating tuition fee increases in all 
educational institutions and instituting an effective and rational mechanism for 
fIxing the tuition fee rate. It proposes the creation of Tuition cFee Rationalization 
Council, envisioned to be a multi-sectoral body seJ;'lles as the highest 


policymaking body on matters pertaining to tuition fee rates and other 
increases or adjustments in school fees. 
-_. C5~6=-" 
JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
SENATE 
SENATE BILL NO. 
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215 
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJ£RCITO 
AN ACT RATIONALIZING AND REGULATING TUITION AND OTHER 
SCHOOL FEES IN ALL HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, CREATING A 
TUITION FEE RATIONALIZING COUNCIL, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives ofthe Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title, This Act shall be known as the "Tuition Fee 
Rationalization Act of 2013" 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - Section 1, Article XIV of the 1987 
Philippine 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 all. 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 
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 and/or 
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 and/or tuition fee 
increase adjustments; 
c. To establish a Tuition Fee Rationalization Council which is en~isioned to 
be a multi-sectoral body that shall serve as the highest poHcy-making 
body on matters pertaining to tuition fee rates and other increases or 
adjustments in school fees; and 
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 Board of Regents of State 
Universities and Colleges that is acceptable to concerned stakeholders 
taking into account the 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 and/or adjustments without any prior consultations, on incoming 
freshmen students in the tertiary level. There shall be no tuition fee increases 
and/or adjustments in all other year levels. 
The tuition fee increases which may be allowed to be imposed shall not 
exceed fifteen percent (15%) of prevailing rates: Provided, however, That any 
proposed tuition fee increase and/or adjustment in excess of the stipulated 
percentage affecting not only the segment of the students stated above but all 
other years level including those to be imposed by the State Universities and 
Colleges shall be subject to the approval of the National Tuition Fee 
Rationalization Council or 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 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 (2p%) in the 
case of miscellaneQUs fees may be allowed after the concerned sclilools shall 
have conducted thorough consultations and hearings, and the eXlllfination of 
financial records and the determination of the distinct requirements and 
conditions of schools shall have been assessed by the Council. 
c) Exemptions - Schools or courses classified under Level III Accreditation 
duly recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the 
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as the case 
may be and whose categorization standards are duly affirmed by the major 
association of private and state institutions shall enjoy autonomy in fiXing the 
rates of their tuition fees or 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 tertiary level 
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 tertiary level. 
c. Board - shall refer to the governing board of the school, such as the 
Board 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. 
f. 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 National Service Training 
Program (NSTP) 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 
cQurses or technical vocational programs. 
h. Level II Accreditation - shall refer to a classification conferred to an 
institution or any of its program courses by a recognized accrediting body 
based on certain quality indicators and standards duly recognized by the 
CHED 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 
and its Regional Countelpart. - 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 Chairperson of the CHED as 
Chair; the Director-General of the TESDA as Vice-Chair; and with the following 
as members: Chairman of the House of Representative's Committee on Higher 
and Technical Education, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, 
representatives from the National Economic and Development Authority 
(NEDA), and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges 
(PASCU); one (1) representative each from these sectors; parent, university or 
college student councilor government, campus publication, faculty association, 
leading association of higher education institutions, major aggrupation of 
technical education institution as well as other sectors which may be 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 CHED, the TESDA, NEDA Regional Director, and represeI!tatives from the 
faculty associations, student council/government, and 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 s,hall be made jointly by the Chairperson of the ¢HED, and 
the Director-General of the TESDA based on criteria that shall be instituted for 
the purpose. 
I 
SECTION 6. Office and Expenditure. - Every member of the Council shall 
serve in an ex-officio capacity without compensation from the government 
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 conviction, be punished by a fine of not less 
than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,OOO) nor more than One Hundred Thousand 


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Pesos (P 100,000) 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 
Thousand Pesos (P500,000) but not more than One Million Pesos (Pl,OOO,OOO). 
Pursuant thereto, the CHED and the TESDA shall be 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 attendance of witnesses and the production of 
documents in connection with the charges presented. 
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Upon the a~proval of 
this Act and within sixty (60) days after the Council shall have been 
constituted, the Council shall formulate the rules and regulations (IRR) to 
implement the provisions of this Act. Public hearings and consultation may be 
conducted to facilitate the drafting of the IRR. 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - In case any provlSlOn of this Act or 
portion thereof is declared unconstitutional by a competent court, other 
provisions shall not affect thereby. 
SECTION 
11. Repealing Clause. -
Any provisions 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,