AT LEAST 168,000 students were denied admission to State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) due to capacity issues, Senator Win Gatchalian flagged.

“For me, this is injustice. Gusto natin silang mag-aral. Pero kahit pumasa sila sa entrance exam, dahil kulang ang capacity, hindi sila makapag-aral,” said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

Data submitted by 62 out of 115 SUCs showed that 32—or 52%—exceeded their capacity. Eleven of these schools, or 18%, have already reached 100% capacity.

As a result, 168,493 students were denied enrollment despite qualifying for admission.

The Senate finance panel chief urged SUCs to prioritize increasing academic capacity and submit their capital outlay requirements, particularly for classrooms and other academic needs.

“The goal here is no more displaced students. Lahat ng pumasa ng entrance exam, makakapag-aral,” Gatchalian said.

He also flagged the decline in SUCs’ capital outlay—from P31 billion in 2024 to P17 billion in 2025.