KABATAAN Partylist called for expanded admissions in state universities and colleges while opposing a Commission on Audit  proposal that would encourage students to opt out of free tuition to generate additional income for public higher education institutions.

The group said it supports a recommendation in the 2024 COA audit report on the University of the Philippines to adopt programs that prioritize the admission of students from low-income families, in line with the intent of Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

However, Kabataan rejected another recommendation in the same report suggesting that UP encourage more students to voluntarily pay tuition as a means of increasing school revenues.

Assistant Minority Leader and Kabataan Partylist Representative Atty. Renee Co said ensuring access to higher education should not mean reintroducing tuition fees, even for students who can afford to pay.

“The poorest students should not only be given the opportunity to step into college; we must also ensure that they are actually admitted and able to finish their studies,” Co said.

“There is no need to charge those who can afford it just to ensure that those who cannot are admitted. We should instead go after and recover what corrupt officials have stolen, rather than pitting students against each other for limited slots in SUCs,” she added.

Co stressed that while affirmative action policies for disadvantaged students are necessary, these measures will have limited impact if the overall capacity of SUCs remains constrained.

“Affirmative action can only go so far if admission slots are limited,” she said. “What we really need is a much bigger budget to expand SUC slots and establish more campuses, especially in the provinces. Students should not be forced to crowd into UP just to access quality education.”

The Kabataan lawmaker also underscored that education is a right, not a commodity, and warned against policies that could lead to the commercialization of public higher education.

“Education is a right, not a product to be bought at a certain price,” Co said. “It should have no price regardless of one’s status in life. Once a price is attached to education, schools risk becoming businesses that prioritize income over the welfare of the people. Tuition collection should never be promoted in SUCs, nor should it even exist.”

Kabataan Partylist reiterated its call for increased public funding for higher education to ensure broader access, equitable admissions, and the full implementation of free tuition in state-run universities and colleges.