Free college tuition law is shaping the future of the Filipino youth

As one of the most celebrated pieces of legislation in recent history, the free college tuition law has transformed the country’s outlook on education as it has strengthened the right of every Filipino to study at the tertiary level.

Enacted in 2017 by former president Rodrigo Duterte, Republic Act (RA) No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, opened the hallowed halls of state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), and government-run technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) to free education.

Specifically, the law covers the tuition fees for all required classes of college students, as well as other school fees, including payments for admissions, libraries, computers and laboratories, entrance, and registration, among others.

To continuously benefit from the law, students must meet all the admission and retention requirements. This means enrolling in the required number of units each year and completing the degree on time.

RA No. 10931 has also made it easier for disadvantaged students—such as indigenous peoples (IPs), persons with disabilities (PWDs), and the poorest of the poor—to avail of free tuition by requiring SUCs, LUCs, and TVIs to create programs for such. 

As a result of the free college tuition law, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) reported a 14-percent increase in enrollment in higher education institutions when the law officially took effect in the 2018-2019 school year.

Enacted in 2017, Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, opened the hallowed halls of state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges, and government-run technical-vocational institutions to free education.

Figures from 2023 show more than two million students benefited from free college education. This, according to CHEd, signifies that students are now more likely to prefer public institutions for tertiary education, which reflects greater access.

The law is far from perfect, however, as experts flagged it for discriminating against disadvantaged students enrolled in high schools that do not necessarily deliver quality education.

To put it simply, students enrolled in “more prestigious” schools are more than likely to pass the entrance exams of SUCs and LUCs than their counterparts enrolled in “less prestigious” schools.

Some lawmakers also cautioned over the worsening dropout rate in college, which even peaked at 41.03 percent during the school year 2022-2023. It has been estimated that four out of 10 beneficiaries of the law eventually drop out. It is important to note, however, that CHEd attributed the higher dropout rate to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is expected to decrease significantly now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us.

All things considered, the free college tuition law shaped Filipino youth by giving students broader access to education, thereby paving the way for a better future.