SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III commended Senator Francis Escudero for coming out with ideas and efforts to help incentivize high school graduates.

This was after the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education passed Senate Bill 2441, or the proposed Free College Entrance Examinations Act.

The proposed measure stated that all private higher education institutions are mandated to waive the college entrance examination charges imposed on qualified graduates and graduate students who are applying for college admission.

“We thank them (private college schools) for being so understanding and cooperative to the objectives of the free tertiary education system,” Pimentel said.

“This is also in recognition of the top ten percent of the graduates for our high school students. This will be an incentive for our high school students to aim at least for the top ten percent of their graduating batch because they have a reward,” he added.

On Monday, senators, voting 22-0-0, approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2441 or the proposed Free College Entrance Examinations Act, which would waive entrance examination fees in private higher educational institutions for disadvantaged graduates or graduating students who show potential for academic excellence.