With the Free College Entrance Exams Act now law, qualified incoming college students can save as much as P1,000 on application fees from private colleges

The bill that waives college entrance examination fees for poor but qualified students is now a law.

Republic Act 12006 or the Free College Entrance Exams Act as published in the Official Gazette mandates that all private higher education institutions do not charge eligible high school graduates or graduating students application fees and related charges.

For a student to be eligible for this benefit, they have to meet these five (5) requirements:

1. They must be a natural-born Filipino citizen

2. They must belong to the top 10 percent of their graduating class

3. They must belong to a family whose combined household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the National Economic and Development Authority, or cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide for their minimum basic needs (food, health, education, housing, and other essential amenities of life as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development)

4. They must apply for college entrance examination to any private higher education institution within the country

5. They must satisfy all other requirements as specified by the private higher education institution concerned

The second requirement is already being enforced by some private colleges. Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, and Far Eastern University are already waiving college entrance examination fees for students belonging to the top 10 percent of their batch or those graduating with the highest honors.

Additionally, applicants to Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University from the Department of Education-recognized Philippine public or science high schools are exempted from paying entrance exam fees.

Here’s a glimpse into the application fees from various private colleges that will now be waived for eligible students, thanks to the Free College Entrance Exams Act.

Ateneo de Manila University

P600
ateneo.edu

De La Salle University

P800. The application fee is also waived for applicants from DLSU Manila Senior High School, DLSU Laguna Integrated School, La Salle Greenhills Night School, and Br. Rafael Donato FSC Night High School.
dlsu.edu.ph

University of Santo Tomas

P600 for Filipino applicants studying in local schools (including Philippine schools based abroad) and Filipino graduates of previous school years; and P1,000 for Filipino applicants studying in foreign schools.
ustet.ust.edu.ph