POSITION PAPER

On the proposed 6% tuition increase for AY 2011-12 The Alliance of Concerned Thomasians (ACT NOW!) firmly believe that education is a right. Any measure that will hinder us from excercising this right must be met with the greatest opposition.

We firmly say NO TO THE PROPOSED 6% TUITION INCREASE for AY 2011-2012.

Our tuition has incessantly increased since 1989. Students and their families need a reprieve from a yearly tuition increase. Non-stop increases have made Thomasian education unaffordable for the families of ordinary Filipinos, majority of which belong to minimum-wage workers or the peasant sector. Even middle class families find this unbearable. In the past decade alone, the total tuition being paid by a student for a regular 24-unit load have nearly doubled from P14,859 in 2001 to P28,128 for this school year. If we input a 6% increase for the following year, then tuition will now reach P29,808. Considering that tuition rates have continuously increased for more than two decades, then the accumulated profits from the 10% incremental proceeds of past tuition increases can be utilized for the next school years instead of having a tuition increase for the next academic year. Even more burdensome are the numerous fees which are added to the regular tuition being paid. We believe that these fees are redundant, some are exorbitant while some are essentially unjust.

ACT NOW! believes that unjust, redundant and exorbitant fees should be reviewed, and scrapped, if found necessary.
First, we believe that imposing a P600 installment fee is unnecessary. Students opt for an installment-basis in paying their tuition and other fees because of lack of finances. Imposing an installment fee means penalizing the students for their financial limitations. This is unjustified. Secondly, we question the duplicity of paying Student Athletic Activity Fee (P60) and Sports Fee (P150) on top of the Athletic Fee (P1,000). Why so many fees for what seems like a same purpose? We continuously pay these fees, yet at the same time we cannot readily access athletics and sports facilities even for college intramurals. Also, we consider exorbitant some fees such as the Energy Fee (P1,200), Information Development Fee (P1,500) and Physical Infrastructure

Development Fee (P1,500). If the Energy Fee is being utilized for the airconditioning of rooms, then we can buy 2 new split-type airconditioners every semester for a 30-student class. Why pay for Information Development and Physical Infrastructure when these should already be covered in the tuition. In some cases, these numerous questionable miscellaneous and other fees are nearly the same as the tuition being paid by Thomasians. This situation is a clear injustice. In light of the present tuition and other fee increase (TOFI) proposals, we believe that existing fees that have been paid for by the students can be rechanneled towards more pressing university needs. Thus, there is no need for TOFI in the upcoming academic year. Common sense points out that with the current price hikes (fare, oil price, electricity and water rates), increases in the cost of education will only alienate the ordinary Filipinos from ever attaining Thomasian education. As competent, compassionate, and committed Thomasians, let us stand for the right of the Filipinos to education, whatever their economic status may be.

We further decry the lack of genuine consultation and ready access to information for tuition and other fee increases.
ACT NOW! believes that consultation means that student opinion should be heeded, not just noted. Approval and acceptance of the students for any proposal is needed before pushing through. Proposed fee increases should be scrapped amid clear opposition against them. We stand for genuine consultation by involving the students directly in the process. We should be given opportunity to raise our sentiments, and objections freely without fear of being disregarded or being sanctioned. Being a numerous section of the Thomasian community, a singular consultation is not enough to get the opinion of the students. Also, the general student populace should be informed of tuition increase consultations. There are many ways to notify the students of possible consultations. We have a public address system and bulletin boards should be used for posting public announcements. Students need transparency. We want to know what are the fees we are paying for by simply providing us with a breakdown of the fees we pay. We demand to know where our payments go. Financial statements of the university and pertinent documents to the fees we pay must be given to student leaders without any restrictions.

We call on the Thomasian community to uphold the democratic rights of the students.

Furthermore, we should be given more than just a few weeks to analyze the financial statements of the university and other pertinent data, especially considering that the administration has had more than a year to analyze them. With these in mind, we reiterate our demands. Scrap the proposed 6% tuition increase. Review and/or scrap unjust, redundant and exorbitant miscellaneous fees. Implement genuine student consultations. Uphold students democratic rights.