THE 6% tuition fee increase to be implemented this school year was met with mixed reactions from members of the Loyola Schools (LS) community.

The increase was announced during last school year’s Magtanong sa VP at Mga Dekano, an annual forum where LS students and administrators discuss school concerns.

During the forum, Vice President for the Loyola Schools John Paul Vergara, PhD said that the increase will be 1% higher than the regular 5% to add to the funds for scholarships and LS infrastructure development.

Some students said that they found the increase reasonable as long as the funds are put to good use.

Communication sophomore Stephanie Sayson said that she can see that the additional money went to the construction projects that were made around campus.

Justin Soon, a management economics sophomore, finds the increase to be normal. He said he was not surprised by the announcement since there is a tuition fee increase every year.

Others, however, said that there is still much to be done regarding campus improvements.

Life sciences senior Neill Herrera finds the increase justifiable, yet he still does not see much progress in renovations.

“I expect that there would be better laboratories and other facilities in campus,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Financial concerns

Some Ateneans are concerned that the increase will bring about financial difficulties.

Life sciences senior Noe Inson noted that the increase might be troubling for the parents who are paying for tuition.

He said the increase would mean a larger budget for education for families, which will be more difficult to shoulder.

For health sciences sophomore Kaelyn Yogyog, her family has been having difficulty paying for her tuition and the increase would be an added burden.

She said that tuition in the Ateneo was higher than the amount her family was used to. Her high school tuition fee, which cost around Php 71,000, was already a “high [spending] limit” for their family.

Yogyog said that her father is the only one providing for them, so they had to apply for loans to pay for her schooling.

Yogyog applied for financial aid twice to help her family with the tuition, but said she was rejected both times because of her family’s financial background.

According to Office of Admission and Aid Assistant to the Director for Scholarships Jolly Morato, the Committee on Admission and Aid usually prioritizes applicants based on grades and family resources because of the limited slots for scholarships.

The said committee is responsible for the evaluation of financial aid applications.

Some students who do avail of financial aid still expressed concerns about the tuition increase.

Management information systems senior Nika Cunanan currently has a 75% financial aid grant. However, she said the tuition amount unaccounted for by the grant is “still a bit high,” costing around P20,000 to P30,000.

Aside from this, she mentioned that her family had trouble paying for the installments.

“There are times when my mom can’t pay according to schedule, so [the payment is] usually left until right before the next semester starts. There’s a problem with how to come up with the money, where to get it and such,” she said.

DEVELOPMENT. The money from the tuition fee increase will go to different projects, said Vice President for the Loyola Schools John Paul Vergara, PhD. (Photo by Ryan Y. Racca)

Improving education

With the increase of school funds, there is also an expectation of an improvement of the quality of education.

Yogyog said she would find the increase agreeable if the school will be able to improve “the quality of education and the services around campus.”

In this regard, she would want to see the tuition go to research development, informational materials in the library and the recruitment of “globally competitive” instructors.

Chemistry Department Assistant Professor Gilbert Yu, PhD also saw the need for more access to information and better facilities.

He agrees that science courses, like chemistry, are especially expensive because of equipment and maintenance fees.

“I can only say that there’s hope that the 6% increase can translate to better services within the university, like access to information like important [academic] journals… and better services for students, because that should be the reason why they have the increase,” he said.

Explaining the 6%

University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ said that the main cause for the tuition fee increase is to “shoulder the requirements needed for expansion.”

This year, two more floors will be added to the John Gokongwei School of Management and Philippine Long Distance Telephone-Convergent Technology Center buildings.

Construction will also begin for The Areté, the Ateneo creative hub, which will house galleries, theaters, alternative classrooms and studios.

A walkway connecting the Science Education Complex and Gonzaga Hall has also been built and is ready for use this school year.

With regard to the budget for scholarships, Villarin said that a “balancing factor” comes into play as the more expensive the tuition fee becomes, the more funds are raised for scholarships.

Morato said the scholarship fund is not limited to college financial grants. It is also used to aid graduate scholars, children of LS employees and the religious and clergy.