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Saturday, Apr 04, 2026
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Private Schools in the Philippines Set to Increase Tuition Fees for 2025-2026 Academic Year
Rising operational costs and teacher salaries prompt tuition hikes as schools prepare for the return to a June academic calendar.
The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) announced that several private schools in the Philippines will implement tuition fee increases for the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year.
In a recent interview, COCOPEA legal counsel Joseph Noel Estrada indicated that the adjustments are primarily aimed at addressing the rising salaries of teachers and school personnel amidst increasing operational costs driven by inflation.
Estrada highlighted that many schools are expected to implement tuition hikes at least in line with the current inflation rate.
He noted, "The increase cannot be prevented as it is the request of teachers and school personnel." COCOPEA is currently awaiting definitive data from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regarding the number of private schools authorized to raise tuition fees.
He stated, "We don’t have the data.
The concerned agencies – the DepEd and CHED – have yet to issue a final decision on the applications for tuition increases." Concurrently, Estrada confirmed that a majority of schools are preparing to return to a June start for the academic year, reverting to traditional scheduling after adjustments made during the pandemic.
Additionally, Estrada emphasized the importance of the DepEd’s voucher program.
He argued that it serves a dual purpose: alleviating congestion in public schools and aiding in the efficient use of government resources.
This follows the recent identification of anomalies concerning the distribution of vouchers, which he noted involved less than one percent of the total beneficiaries.
Estrada urged against generalizing the issue, highlighting the critical nature of this program for numerous families.
The DepEd has mandated refunds from 54 private schools flagged for irregularities in claims associated with the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP) for the academic years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Of these institutions, 38 have completed their refunds, two have made partial payments, and 14 schools have yet to return the funds.
The DepEd plans to issue final demand letters to ensure compliance.
To date, approximately P65 million has been recovered as part of these financial rectifications.
Further investigation remains necessary to ascertain if the identified irregularities may constitute fraudulent activities.
In a recent interview, COCOPEA legal counsel Joseph Noel Estrada indicated that the adjustments are primarily aimed at addressing the rising salaries of teachers and school personnel amidst increasing operational costs driven by inflation.
Estrada highlighted that many schools are expected to implement tuition hikes at least in line with the current inflation rate.
He noted, "The increase cannot be prevented as it is the request of teachers and school personnel." COCOPEA is currently awaiting definitive data from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regarding the number of private schools authorized to raise tuition fees.
He stated, "We don’t have the data.
The concerned agencies – the DepEd and CHED – have yet to issue a final decision on the applications for tuition increases." Concurrently, Estrada confirmed that a majority of schools are preparing to return to a June start for the academic year, reverting to traditional scheduling after adjustments made during the pandemic.
Additionally, Estrada emphasized the importance of the DepEd’s voucher program.
He argued that it serves a dual purpose: alleviating congestion in public schools and aiding in the efficient use of government resources.
This follows the recent identification of anomalies concerning the distribution of vouchers, which he noted involved less than one percent of the total beneficiaries.
Estrada urged against generalizing the issue, highlighting the critical nature of this program for numerous families.
The DepEd has mandated refunds from 54 private schools flagged for irregularities in claims associated with the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP) for the academic years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Of these institutions, 38 have completed their refunds, two have made partial payments, and 14 schools have yet to return the funds.
The DepEd plans to issue final demand letters to ensure compliance.
To date, approximately P65 million has been recovered as part of these financial rectifications.
Further investigation remains necessary to ascertain if the identified irregularities may constitute fraudulent activities.
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