The Board of Regents (BOR) finally approved the abolition of the P150.00 penalty charged from students as late payment fee.

This will take effect on first semester of school year 2016-2017.

The decision was in response to a petition filed by the Supreme Student Council (SSC) which calls for the removal of the additional fee required if a TSU student wasn’t able to pay in full his tuition and miscellaneous fees before the date of payment set in his certificate of registration.

The announcement is in reference to Resolution No. 34, series of 2016 stating the excerpts of the 101st Regular Meeting of BOR held at Midas Hotel, Pasay City on April 1.

A resolution from the SSC dated November 25, 2015, labelled late-payment fee as an “unnecessary” fee and claimed its abolition will lessen students’ financial burden and will maximize access to quality education.

The student body insisted Article 14, Section 1 of the Philippine Constitution saying the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

They also cited provisions from Article 237 of the TSU Code which calls for the different student service office of the university to establish policies pertinent to student welfare and development. Effective rules and regulations on student assistance shall be established, it added.

SSC President Miguel Paolo Nunag, known as a student activist and member of Kabataan Partylist group, headed a signature campaign earlier this semester to gather support from TSUians against late-payment fee.

Nunag also presented lists of student payors in the undergraduate programs and graduate studies who were charged P150.00. The collection stated in the lists totalled P1, 045,800.00.  The summary is labelled “ACCOUNT: 100801 - Penalty for Late Enrolment/Payment.”

There were 4,195 accounts charged during 2nd semester of academic year 2014-2015 comprising a November-March period. This is equivalent to P629, 250.00.

Meanwhile, the summary for May 1 to October 6, 2015 shows 2,777 accounts charged for a total of P416, 550.00.

In support to SSC, Rise for Education Alliance circulated leaflets inside the campus on April Fools’ Day before the plea was favored, telling the state and the administration should not take the students urge to junk the 150-peso fee a joke.