Romualdez: Free college law should include stipend, address dropouts
In a statement, Romualdez said that according to the latest report of Second Congressional Commission on Education, nearly four in 10 students still drop out despite the passage of the Free College Law.
'Free tuition was a landmark achievement, but the work is far from over. Nearly four out of 10 students in state universities and colleges are still dropping out. In some regions, the situation is even more alarming,' he said.
'These are not just statistics. They are shattered dreams and interrupted futures, often because students cannot afford transportation, food, rent, books or internet. We need to protect and build on the gains of the Free Higher Education Law by ensuring students have the means to actually finish school,' Romualdez added.
He said the government must consider strategic interventions such as monthly stipends, transport subsidies, food allowances and digital access programs.
'These [additional support] are gaps we must urgently fill if we truly want free higher education to be a ladder out of poverty,' Romualdez said.
Based on a Pulse Asia survey conducted in January 2024 and commissioned by Senate Committee on Basic Education chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian, 8 percent of Filipinos support free tuition in state-run colleges and universities.
Romualdez then said the expansion of the Free College law should start with the review of the measure as provided under House Resolution 61 filed by Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon.
'We owe it to our students to fund this law properly. We owe it to every Filipino family to give their children a real chance at a better future, and we owe it to the nation to make education a powerful equalizer, not an unfinished promise,' Romualdez said. — BM, GMA Integrated News
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