The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) expressed concern over Senator Bam Aquino’s proposal to implement an “opt-out” option scheme, or a student’s voluntary exemption from the free tuition program in state universities and colleges (SUC). Aquino pushed for the scheme during the national budget hearing for 2026 on September 27.
According to the NUSP, this scheme contradicts what students and youth fought for over the past decades—that free college education must be accessible to all. “The opt-out scheme mirrors the socialized tuition scheme which has hindered many students from accessing education,” the group stated.
Under the STS, which the University of the Philippines System notoriously implemented, a student had to prove indigency to access the free tuition program. They were commonly burdened with long and highly bureaucratic processes just to prove qualification.
“No one should go through a long and inhumane process just to achieve free tuition,” the NUSP said. The group expressed disappointment because the proposed scheme takes a step backward from the youth-student movement’s victories for the right to education.
The opt-out scheme for free tuition in SUCs was included in the enacted law on free college tuition (Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act). The law states that a student having the ability to pay may “optionally” exempt himself from free tuition.
One implementor was Tarlac State University (TSU), starting June 2024. According to TSU’s scheme, those subjected to “opt-out” were students who did not qualify for quotas in courses and programs they wanted to enroll in.
The university claimed responding to the increasing number of applicants who could no longer be covered by free tuition due to budget shortfalls. This setup did not allow students to opt out of free tuition but compelled them to pay.
The university student council and student body denounced this last February, and NUSP-Tarlac supported their fight.
“We stand firm that one’s ability to pay tuition fee must not be a requisite for anyone to be able to have access to education. This passes the burden of attaining education to the people instead of our government ensuring that it is accessible,” according to the NUSP.
The group emphasized that education should not be conditional, but should be recognized by the state as a right. “And we must continue to fight for our right to education until we reach further victories,” the union added.
Like the NUSP, Kabataan Partylist also opposed Aquino’s proposal. As an advocate for free education in the country, the party said the government has more than enough funds to allocate for education, especially amid rampant corruption under the Marcos regime.
“Go after those who steal public funds, not the students. The proposal to make even well-off students pay is senseless while billions are being lost to corruption, debt payments, militarization, and other disgraceful programs such as the NTF-Elcac,” Kabataan Partylist Rep. Atty. Renee Co said.
“From the very beginning Kabataan opposed inserting the opt-out rule into the law because we believe it still allows tuition collection. This rule can be used as a pretext to further neglect SUCs and cut their budgets. It is vulnerable to abuse,” Co said.
The youth representative in Congress added that in fact, students should be provided not only with free tuition but also with other necessary study-related services, such as affordable dorms, food, and campus facilities.
