MANILA – Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a bill seeking to prohibit schools from withholding or delaying the release of student records due to unpaid tuition and other school fees.

A report said that under Senate Bill 1964, or the proposed Right to Student Records Act, educational institutions would be barred from holding back a student’s or former student’s transcript of records, report cards, diplomas, certificates, and transfer credentials on several grounds.

These include non-payment, in full or in part, of tuition or authorized school fees in cases where the student is verified to be financially incapacitated, as well as actions intended to prevent the transfer of a student with no outstanding financial obligation. The measure also covers discriminatory or retaliatory practices inconsistent with existing laws and regulations.

The bill proposes the creation of a student records assistance mechanism to help financially incapacitated students with verified unpaid balances access their academic records.

For basic education, the mechanism would be handled by the Department of Education (DepEd) through its Government Assistance and Subsidies Office. For higher education, it would be administered by the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Under the proposal, DepEd, CHED, and TESDA would also be authorized to receive and investigate complaints from students, former students, parents, or guardians regarding violations.

Schools found violating the measure may face sanctions such as warnings, fines, suspension, or other penalties under the agencies’ regulatory powers.

“This measure empowers parents, guardians, students, and former students to file written complaints before the appropriate educational authorities and institutionalizes the authority of the DepEd, CHED, and TESDA to investigate violations, impose administrative penalties, and monitor the compliance of educational institutions to ensure the Act is fully implemented,” Hontiveros said in the explanatory note.