MANILA — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) appealed to higher education institutions (HEIs) to suspend planned tuition fee increases, citing the ongoing national energy emergency and rising cost pressures.

CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said the timing is not appropriate for any tuition hike despite growing operational expenses faced by schools.

“While we recognize the increasing prices and mga kailangan ng isang higher education institution, nakikiusap kami na I think this is not the right time to increase tuition fees,” Agrupis said in a press briefing.

She noted that the agency has received several requests for tuition adjustments, although some private HEIs have reportedly agreed to defer their proposals.

“So, naintindihan naman nila, but we are in the process of calling a meeting with higher education institutions,” she added.

For state universities and colleges, Agrupis said proposed adjustments related to tuition harmonization have been submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and are tied to the implementation of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

She said the proposals were informed by the SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV & Co) study on Normative Tuition and Other School Fees, which will serve as a reference for policy direction and funding discussions.

Agrupis also said most HEIs have not fully shifted to a 100 percent online learning setup despite earlier authorization linked to the energy situation.

On April 6, CHED allowed both public and private HEIs to adopt full online classes in response to rising fuel and electricity costs. However, only a limited number of institutions have fully transitioned.

“Konti lang po ang nag-full na 100 percent online. So, we really thank our HEI leaders because they really adhered to our call,” she said, adding that schools were given discretion to determine readiness without compromising academic quality.

CHED said the online learning authorization remains valid until the end of academic year 2025 to 2026, including summer classes.