TOFI is…

 A question of UP as a state university. -Faculty Regent Roland Simbulan

 A drastic change of UP Philosophy education (from providing enabling conditions for the poor but talented students to acquire quality education to a market based instrument where prices must be adjusted depending on the customer’s ability to pay). -FR Roland Simbulan

 A way for UP to help itself. (The government thinks that UP is just trying to help itself upon the implementation of TOFI.)


 (On the rationale of TOFI and new STFAP brackets) The dual meaning of the principle “those who can afford should pay more” is “those who can not afford should not pay!” –Student Regent Terry Ridon

Sends wrong signals
>to the hard up parents paying high tuition fees
>to legislators who will think that UP is now rich so they can reduce further the budget for UP
>hopefully, other SCUs will not idolize UP
- Student Regent Terry Ridon

As I see it, TOFI is...

 A shift of burden to the students (pasaload).

 A way to stabilize the funds of UP and therefore will not immediately result to improvement of facilities and increase in salary of faculties.

(According to the De Dios report, the UP Administration expects a P53.7 million increase per semester in the money collected from tuition of incoming freshmen. If the tuition increase will be implemented in all levels (freshmen up to graduating class) the money generated is up to P429.6 million which will be the yearly collection from tuition alone. This means that the money generated will surpass the income of UP from the combined fees which will be paid by the students every year.)

 A symptom of state abandonment.

( “…there was nothing in the law that said the government should provide a free college education, and warned that all other state colleges may end up following UP's example because of the government's fiscal crisis.” -UP Pres. Emerlinda Roman (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct. 1, 2006 issue)

 A manifestation of the glaring commercialization of education in our country today. (Commercialization of a basic right)

 An understatement to the worsening living conditions and limited capacity of the majority of the Filipinos to afford education.


What’s more is that, we are pressured BUT the government ISN’T.