Tuition Fee Hike

There have been a lot of buzz about the probable tuition fee rise for the next academic year.

I've watched the news. I've seen people protesting, maybe all of them are college students. They all disagree on the fee hike.

I'm of one voice with them.

You see, times are tough, and even getting tougher, particularly now here in the Philippines. In this current situation where tuition fees have not yet taken its hike (well at least this semester), there are already many out-of-school youths and undergrads. A lot of families already find it hard to get their children through tertiary level. So how much more when they increase tuition fees? Maybe families who are doing their very best, no matter how tough and impossible it seems, to push their children through their education would give in and let their studying children stop because things have just gotten unbearable already.

This is a matter every college student has to face. I'm not sure if the increase is also going to take place in other lower education levels, but on the college level matter (where I am concerned), it's an issue that's not easy to ignore.

So, why the hike? Why the tuition rise? Why make it tougher for us college students to finish?

It has even been heard that medical courses, (I don't know if that's really how they call it) like Nursing, and others in the field of Arts and Sciences like Education would probably be required an additional year to the original (and in fact, enough) four years. So that would make them five-year courses. Man, one year's a lot of time! Not to mention also requires additional money, patience, and hard work for parents. Although (luckily) my course, B.S. Information Technology is not included, I somehow can empathize to those who'll be burdened by such a radical change.

It's not so easy to study, really. Especially in my family's economic status, we're just like other simple families doing our best to make ends meet. My mom who supports us and my step dad who helps tide me over from semester to semester since last June, and our whole family here and there, that will be a big deal to us.

At present, financial requirements in school are already not that friendly... at least to our family. So, I just can't disagree more with the being proposed/planned/whatever tuition fee hike.

I just hope there'd always be education for all. I've known how hard and even humiliating it is to be out of school, and just staying at home, not studying or learning anything especially achieving anything academically while your friends are. And you are being left behind.

To sum it up when it comes to the fee increase...I give a NO.