THE UNIVERSITY of the East on Wednesday justified the 9.5 percent increase in tuition for Academic Year 2023-2024 saying the school did not raise its fees in the past two years.

“Kindly be advised that, while the University’s current 9.5% tuition increase might seem comparatively higher compared to pre-pandemic levels, it comes on the heels of two full school years that came with no UE tuition increase, to help ease the financial burden of our students during the peak of the Covid19 pandemic,” Dr. Zosimo Battad, UE president and chief academic officer, said in an open letter.

“Compared to the combined total of 15% if there were tuition hikes in SYs 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the increase for the incoming school year is actually lower,” he added.

Various student groups have filed petitions before the Commission on Higher Education to contest the school’s 9.5% tuition increase.

Battad said that the tuition hike is in response to the “ever-increasing national inflation rates.”

“The pressure of ever-increasing national inflation rates is a constant, crucial factor in the ever present and delicate balance between the University’s continued viability and its ability to provide quality education to generations of learners—from preschool to grade school to junior and senior high school to college to graduate school,” he explained.

The UE official added that 70% of the tuition collection post-taxation is allocated to compensate academic and non-academic personnel. The remaining funds are utilized for utilities and facilities.

“On this note, and on behalf of UE Management, let me take this opportunity to express our appreciation to you for being part of the University as young learners looking into becoming a diversity of future professionals—and to appeal to your understanding of this necessity,” Battad said.

“Having gone through an unprecedented global pandemic, we are in the midst of recovering individually and collectively and weathering any prevalent or fresh challenges that might come our way,” he added.