UPPI and UniFAST conduct webinars as part of the Cost Norms Study
The UP Population Institute and the UniFAST conducted webinars on how to fill out the instrument of the “Cost Norms Study in Tertiary Education in the Philippines” (a.k.a. Cost Norms Study) on October 15 and 22, 2021.
Over 200 representatives from state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) in Visayas and Mindanao attended the webinar for the first batch on October 15 and another 200 more representatives from SUCs and LUCs in Luzon attended the webinar for the second batch held on October 22.
As explained by Cost Norms Project Leader and UPPI Professor, Dr. Nimfa B. Ogena during the activity, the Cost Norms Study is in line with the implementation of RA 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education. Particularly, the Cost Norms Study aims to determine the average cost of twelve (12) baccalaureate degree programs in the SUCs and LUCs in the Philippines. The reference period of the study is calendar year 2018 which covers academic terms in AY 2017-2018 and AY 2018-2019.
The 12 degree programs covered by the the Cost Norms Study are: BS Accountancy, BS Agriculture, BS Architecture, BS Biology, BS Business Administration, BS Civil Engineering, BS Criminology, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management, BS Information Technology, BS Nursing, BS Psychology, BS Secondary Education major in Science Education. To gather the data needed to estimate the average cost per student of these programs the UPPI is conducting a census of 186 SUCs and LUCs that offer any of the 12 degree programs.
UniFAST Officer-in-Charge Executive Director, Atty. Ryan Estevez pointed out in his opening statement that UniFAST through the study “wants to assess the effectiveness and the efficiency of the implementation of Free Higher Education subsidies among our other programs in the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) in terms of identifying the cost of higher education across all the regions in the country. This is also to gauge a standardized impact of the said law which will further guide us on how to maintain or further improve our processes.”
In her closing statement, UPPI Director and Professor, Dr. Grace T. Cruz underscored the importance of the project in helping to attain quality tertiary education. “[T]he cost of providing free tuition and other school fees in SUCs, LUCs and state run technical-vocational institutions requires not only significant planning but accurate data that will help in the formulation of appropriate plans and programs. This is particularly challenging now as the country is beset with a health pandemic that has seriously affected the available financial resources for development programs. Together with UniFAST, we need to work harder together to ensure that we gather accurate information that will provide a more scientific basis to help achieve our goal of making education more accessible to all, particularly among the poorest of the poor,” Director Cruz concluded. #
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