40% of Filipino College Students Drop Out Despite Free Tuition

The Philippines has a startlingly high postsecondary education dropout rate of 39%, with certain regions seeing as high as 93.4%, even though the Universal Access to Quality postsecondary Education Act provides free tuition at state universities and colleges (SUCs). Opportunity costs are the reason for this, according to EDCOM 2's Year Two Report, since many students choose employment over school because of financial strains that go beyond tuition. The group suggests revising the free tuition statute to provide students with greater financial aid and establishing a more adaptable system of higher education that permits students to return after working for a while. In order to suit students' work schedules, this involves looking into options like weekend and evening classes.