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Title: EDUCATION COST IN THE PHILIPPINES

A Term Paper

In Partial fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Course MEM 641

Submitted by

Summer, 2021

TOPIC: EDUCATION COST IN THE PHILIPPINES


Learning Outcome: Analyze the use of one fund concept in planning

Definition of terms:

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge,


skills, values, morals, beliefs, and habits.
Educational relating to the provision of education
Cost the amount of money needed for a business or to do a particular job
Educational costs means student costs for tuition, fees, room and board, or expenses related
to reasonable commuting, books and such other expenses reasonably
related to attendance at a postsecondary educational institution.

References:
The Cost of Education in the Philippines (smartparenting.com.ph)
Cost of Education in the Philippines Preschool to College (smartparenting.com.ph)
Educational costs Definition | Law Insider
Tuition Fee Guide: 2019 Cost Of College Education In The Philippines (ecomparemo.com)
Addressing the rising cost of college education in the Philippines (Charland, Philstar, 2018)
LIST: Universities and colleges with free tuition starting 2018 (CNN Philippines, 2018)
DepEd: Over 250-K students transferred from private schools to public schools (Inquirer.net,
2020)
UP and Ateneo Continue to Lead Philippine Universities at World University Rankings (Chua,
Esquire, 2020)
San Beda College granted university status (Guno, Inquirer, 2018)

Future Value (Investopedia, 2020)

Senior High School Voucher Program Guidelines (DepEd, 2017)

54,761 private school students benefit from Bayanihan 2 subsidy (CHED, 2021)

INTRODUCTION
There’s nothing more important to parents than securing their children’s future. That’s why
investing in good education has always been their top priority. Why wouldn’t they? Not only will
education enrich your child’s mind, but it also opens doors of opportunities for their personal
growth.

Education is one of the most powerful tools in the world, and children who receive the best
education possible often go on to improve the world for themselves and others.

If you are a parent, a would-be parent, or planning to become a parent, you are aware of the
specific responsibilities that come with the role. And many parents in the Philippines rise to the
occasion by enrolling their children in private schools.
When it comes to private schooling for their child, parents have a number of options. While
public education is not inherently less competitive, private education provides students with a
more personalized learning experience.
You might think that tuition fees in the Philippines have become lower because students don’t go
to school physically and are instead taking distance learning or online learning classes at home
during the pandemic. However, this is not the case for most schools because other facilities like
internet connection and equipment need to be provided and upgraded to facilitate online classes.
As we all look forward to the reopening of classrooms for face-to-face instructions, ask yourself:
How much do I really need to prepare for my child’s education?

DISCUSSIONS

How much will it cost to send your child to school?


Knowing how much you need for your child’s education depends on your choice of school. Are
you planning to enroll your kid in a private school? Or you’re looking forward to making them a
part of the public-school system? The rising cost of education in the Philippines depends on so
many factors, including whether you’ll send your child to a private or public educational
institution.
To help you decide, here are a few of the similarities and differences between public and private
schools in the Philippines that you must consider.

The Differences Between Private Schools and Public Schools


Higher Tuition Fees in Private Schools
Public schools don’t charge tuition fees while private schools do. Generally speaking, parents of
children attending public schools don’t need to pay tuition fees from elementary to college.
This one is Under the free tuition law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018, you can send
your child to any of the 112 universities that offer free college education. As more than 250,000
students from private schools transferred to public schools during the pandemic, tuition fees are
likely to increase in the private school system to cover for their losses.
Better Facilities in Private Schools
Most private schools charge tuition fees to cover their maintenance and provision of facilities.
For one, most private school classrooms are air-conditioned with maintenance staff like janitors
and cleaners. Many private schools also have a designated computer and equipment for each
child to facilitate digital learning. On the contrary, the public-school system may find it hard to
provide high-tech equipment as funding is limited.
Larger Class Sizes in Public Schools
Most public schools accommodate up to 65 students per classroom while private school classes
are composed of up to 30 students only. Class size often matters for most parents because a small
class size means higher chances of focus and learning for students. Also, teachers can better
supervise and monitor their students’ progress individually if they handle smaller classes.
Differences in the Medium of Instruction
Public schools use the national language in classroom discussions while most private schools
have maintained the use of Filipino and English as the medium of instruction. If you and your
kid are not used to communicating in Filipino, then you might find it hard to adjust and
understand modules and other printed references in public schools.
How Much Do Tuition Fees in the Philippines Cost?
Knowing how much you should save depends on the grade level of your child. For instance,
some schools charge higher tuition fees for grade school compared to high school.

Average Annual Tuition Costs in Private Schools


Grade School: PHP 25,000 – PHP100,000
On average, here’s a breakdown of expenses for private schooling.

GRADE SCHOOL PHP 25 000 - PHP 100 000


EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES AVERAGE COST
Tuition PHP 25 000
Books PHP 10 000
Laboratory Fee PHP 4 000
Uniform PHP 5 000
Miscellaneous PHP 7 000
TOTAL PHP 50 000 annually or 5 000 monthly

Grade school in the Philippines starts from Preschool level to Grade 6. Depending on the
school’s location and facilities, you may need to prepare at least PHP 25,000 for school fees
alone. Some other fees may include books, uniforms, laboratory, and miscellaneous fees, which
will raise the school’s monthly charges. Which you pay PHP 50,000 annually or PHP 5000
monthly.
High School and Senior High School: PHP 40,000 – PHP 150,000
On average, here’s a breakdown of expenses for private schooling.
HIGH SCHOOL AND SENIOR HIGH
SCHOOL PHP 40 000 - PHP 150 000
EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES AVERAGE COST
Tuition PHP 40 000
Books PHP 15 000
Laboratory Fee PHP 7 000
Uniform PHP 5 000
Miscellaneous PHP 10 000
TOTAL PHP 77 000 annually or 8 000 monthly

The K-12 education system added two more years at the high school level for both private and
public schools. On average, tuition fees in the Philippines for high school students starts from
PHP 40,000. Compared to grade school, high school education covers more subjects, more
books, and more requirements that aim to develop the student’s mastery of knowledge and skills.
Which you pay PHP 77,000 annually or PHP 8,000 monthly.
College Level: PHP 70,000 to PHP 250,000
College is probably the most difficult stage for parents, both financially and emotionally. Aside
from your child’s education fund getting more expensive, completing a four-year or five-year
course can become more difficult for the child.

To help you better understand how much you need to save for your child’s education, here are
the tuition fees in some of the top universities in the Philippines

Annual Tuition Cost of Top Universities in the Philippines


300,000.00

250,000.00

200,000.00

150,000.00

100,000.00

50,000.00

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Annual Tuition Cost Minimum Annual Tuition Cost Maximum

Ateneo offers elementary, high school, college, and graduate education. The university offers
competitive programs in sciences, liberal arts, law, management, and engineering.
Based on its website, ADMU charges the following fees for the School Year 2021:
Tuition – PHP 92,064
Basic fees – PHP 12,385.45
Other fees – PHP 3,750
Take note that tuition fees in the Philippines vary depending on your child’s program of study.
Additional fees may also be charged aside from the ones mentioned above.
De La Salle University or DLSU offers courses in communication, sciences, engineering,
business, and technologies. The university has three terms, with each term costing an average of
PHP 70,000 to PHP 90,000+.
The basic tuition fee charged per unit is PHP 3,604. If your child takes 25 units in one semester,
then you need to pay a PHP 90,100 average tuition fee alone. Other fees at DLSU include
student orientation for PHP 992, a library for PHP 1,453, and a registration fee of PHP 872,
among others.
UP Diliman has over 20,000 students and houses the greatest number of CHED Center of
Excellence in the country. Journalism, computer engineering, philosophy, anthropology, and
creative writing are just some of the many courses offered by this university.
Under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act 10931), UP is
among the state universities with a full tuition subsidy for students. This means free tuition for
qualified UP students.
Labeled as the oldest university in Asia, UST has nine colleges and offers courses in
architecture, physical therapy, journalism, among others. It has Php 1000,000 to Php 150,000
annual cost of tuition.
One of Cebu’s largest universities, the University of San Carlos has the most CHED Center of
Excellence in the Vis-Min area. It offers programs in education, physics, engineering, and
anthropology. Its annual cost of tuition ranges Php 75,000 to Php 100,000
UA&P offers courses in economics, humanities, management, and information technology. It’s
annual cost of tuition ranging Php 180,000 to 190,000. The institution also has an international
student exchange program, with partner schools in Europe, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific.
Siliman has the greatest number of accredited programs in the country. Founded in 1901, the
university has degree programs in information and technology, nursing, biology, and marine
science. The annual cost of tuition Php 180,000 to 190,000.
Founded in 1901, San Beda has campuses in Manila, Alabang, and Rizal. CHED also granted the
institution university status in 2018. The annual cost of tuition ranging Php 180,000 to Php
300,000. San Beda offers courses in accountancy, marketing, economics, and law.
Mapua University is known for its engineering and architecture programs. Eight of the
university’s programs are recognized as a CHED Center of Excellence. Mapua has campuses in
Intramuros and Makati, and with four terms per year, with each term costing an averaging of
PHP 51,000.
CSB was founded in the 80s as a night school, but today it offers various courses in the fields of
arts and design, international studies, and hotel and management. The school has three terms,
with each term costing an average of PHP 105,000.
Before you compute the amount to save for your child’s education, consider the things that have
an impact on the future cost of education.

Your Target School and Course


Do you dream of sending your children to one of the top universities in the Philippines? You
should be working harder and saving more because the cost of education in many of the best
colleges in the country is expensive.
Your choices are limited if you’re looking for schools that specialize in fields like business,
accounting, engineering, medicine, IT, and the arts. If the schools on your shortlist all charge
high tuition payments, you must either build a huge tuition fund or keep looking for more
affordable choices.

Another option is a state university or college covered by the free tuition law (Republic Act
10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act). Qualified students in premier
state universities like UP and PUP no longer pay for tuition, miscellaneous fees, and other school
fees starting in the academic year 2018-2019.

However, the free tuition law has numerous conditions and restrictions, so you don’t know for
sure if your child will qualify for it. Also, it isn’t certain if this law will still be implemented by
the time your child enters college.

Your Target School’s Current Tuition


Once you’ve determined your target college, find out how much the current tuition is in that
particular school. You can find the information on the school’s official website or through search
engines for Philippine colleges like finduniversity.ph, among others.
Tuition fees in the Philippines increase by an average of 10% every year—about twice the
country’s average inflation rate of 4% to 5%. While the cost of education rises exponentially,
household incomes don’t grow as much.
Number of Years Until Your Child Starts College
Your kid’s age today will determine how long you’ll have to save for their college tuition. A
parent with a newborn has 18 years to prepare for the child’s college education. That’s easier to
manage compared to building a tuition fund for a 10-year-old kid or older. The shorter the time
left for you to save, the bigger the money you have to set aside per month or year.
How to Calculate Tuition Fees in the Philippines?
Now that you know the factors that affect the cost of education in the country, you can compute
the amount you need for securing your child’s education in the future.
To make it simpler, calculate first the cost of education for your child’s first year in college. Use
this formula:
Cost of College Education = Current Tuition in Target School x (1.10 ^ Years Until College)
For example, you want your three-year-old to study in UST 15 years from now. With tuition of
PHP 110,000, the estimated tuition cost for 2033 is computed this way:
PHP 110,000 x (1.10 ^ 15) = PHP 459,497.30.
That’s for the first year of college alone. You also need to compute for the remaining years in
college, considering that tuition goes up by 10% every year. To get the total tuition cost, multiply
the estimated tuition for the first year (PHP 459,497.30) by 1.10 for every year that your child
will in college and then get their sum.
Assuming that your child will complete a four-year course, here’s how much it will cost you for
every year in college:

YEARS IN COLLEGE ESTIMITATED TOTAL TUITION


First Year PHP 459,497.30
Second Year PHP 505,447.03 (PHP 459,497.30 x 1.10)
Third Year PHP 555,991.73 (PHP 505,447.03 x 1.10)
Fourth Year PHP 611,590.91 (PHP 555,991.73 x 1.10)
Total Tuition PHP 2,132,526.97

The estimated total cost of education is over PHP 2 million, which will be your target amount to
save for your child’s tuition. The actual cost may be higher or lower depending on your target
school, the tuition cost, and how long you’ll save up for it.
You might be overwhelmed by the numbers provided above but that doesn’t mean you can’t do
anything to reduce what you’re supposed to pay. Your child’s education is precious, and you can
do a lot of things to ease the financial burden.
STRENGTHS
Increase in tuition fees allow colleges to remain competitive in the industry. Some schools use
funds to upgrade technology like computers, technical equipment, Internet services, and
classroom visual aids. Others spend the funds to hire qualified, experienced teachers, instructors,
and support personnel. Furthermore, it assists schools in maintaining their facilities, making
repairs, constructing sports arenas, conducting research, and upgrading classrooms and academic
laboratories. According to Forbes, modern facilities attract more students and provide schools
with a competitive advantage.
WEAKNESSES
On the other hand, increase in tuition can cause financial stress for students with limited
resources. Students frequently base their budgets on current tuition costs and are unprepared for
rising costs. They may not be eligible for additional college loans or loan amounts that are larger
to cover tuition increases. Even when tuition costs rise, many scholarships remain unchanged. To
cover rising costs, students may need to apply for additional financial aid, federal grants, school-
issued grants, and scholarships.
Unexpected tuition costs may force some students to settle for undergraduate degrees, even if
they had intended to pursue advanced degrees. Others may choose to attend community colleges
rather than four-year bachelor's degree programs. Some students will be discouraged from
completing their college coursework due to rising costs. They may have to work for months or
years to save up for rising tuition costs, postponing long-term postgraduate career opportunities.
REFLECTIONS
Every year, many young people work hard to pass their high school diplomas and get into
college. However, for many of them, getting good grades isn't their only concern. Unlike the
fortunate minority from wealthy families, they must also consider how they will pay for their
education.
The government claims that free education is impossible because there are no budget funds
available to subsidize universities and colleges. Furthermore, when education is fully funded by
the state, colleges lose their independence as well as the spirit of democracy and freedom. They
also believe that students have numerous options for obtaining the funds they require. If they are
exceptionally gifted, they may be eligible for a scholarship. They can work while attending
university. They can also take out a bank loan, which they will repay once they begin working.
Despite the numerous options, the cost of education is still prohibitively expensive for many
students. Scholarships are unlikely to cover the entire cost, and students who are successful in
obtaining one must still work to support themselves. Earning enough money to pay for your
college education is nearly impossible with a part-time job, and working full-time leaves students
with no time to study, resulting in money being wasted. And a bank loan is so large that students
must repay it over a long period of time.
In order to help secure a child’s future by providing education, devise and begin as early as
possible a savings strategy that will not jeopardize your finances. You can also invest your
money to earn a profit. A loan may also be beneficial. However, make certain that the
repayments will not bankrupt you.

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN ON THE TOPIC:

Statement of the Problem


The study aimed to determine the structure and cost of education in the Philippines.
Respondents of the Study
As to the respondents, it consists of the randomly selected elementary schools, colleges and
universities-private and public in the Philippines.
Findings of the Study
Based on the given information, the estimated average annual tuition costs in private schools as
for the grade school it ranges from Php25,000-Php 100,000. For the high school and senior high
school, it will range from Php 40,000-Php 150,000 and for the college level the annual cost will
range from Php 70,000-Php250,000. It shows every year the cost of education is increasing and it
is affected by the inflation in its input prices particularly wage rate, by the improvement in the
quality of its instructional facilities and personnel and by opening new degree programs that
involve higher cost compare to the existing ones. On the other hand, tuition fees in public
schools are free, however, there are still miscellaneous fees, uniforms and other school supplies
that need to be shouldered.
Conclusion of the Study
Considering the cited findings, it is concluded that the education costs in the Philippines is
expensive and is getting higher and is influence by economic, cultural and social factors. In
addition, we can also conclude that most schools are dependent in its school fees in running the
institution.
Recommendations of the Study
Considering the conclusions drawn, it is recommended for schools to consider various school
contexts such as locations, flagship programs, resources and socio-cultural considerations in
determining the structure of its fees. In addition, as for the government, they should highlight the
importance of having advanced education and invests in its support programs in order to provide
more opportunities to many students.

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