RA 10931 Free Tuition Law: What It Covers at SUCs and LUCs and What It Doesn't

What RA 10931 actually is

Republic Act 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, took effect in 2017 and set up free tuition at public higher education institutions in the Philippines. The full text is available through the Supreme Court E-Library . Alongside free tuition, the law also created the Tertiary Education Subsidy and a student loan program, both administered by UniFAST, to address costs the tuition waiver does not touch.

Who the free tuition benefit covers

Every Filipino student enrolled in a bachelor's degree, certificate or comparable undergraduate program at a State University or College (SUC) or a Local University or College (LUC) qualifies for free tuition and other school fees, provided they pass the entrance exam and meet the school's admission and retention requirements. The same free-tuition principle extends to state-run Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) under TESDA.

The waiver is automatic once you are validly enrolled. It is not means-tested, so it applies whether your family is high-income or low-income, unlike the Tertiary Education Subsidy described below.

What free tuition and other school fees covers

The benefit covers tuition and the other mandatory fees your school charges for you to complete your units, such as laboratory and library fees tied to your enrolled subjects. It does not extend to charges for optional activities or organizations you choose to join on top of your academic load.

What the law does not cover

Free tuition under RA 10931 does not pay for books, school supplies, uniforms, dormitory or boarding costs, transportation or daily living expenses. Families of SUC and LUC students still budget for these costs every semester even with tuition fully waived.

The law also does not apply to private higher education institutions. If you study at a private university, RA 10931 gives you no tuition discount there. Private HEI students access support instead through the Tertiary Education Subsidy or the student loan program under the same law, both of which run on separate eligibility rules from the tuition waiver.

Retention requirements you still need to meet

Free tuition is tied to your continued enrollment in good standing. You still need to meet your school's own academic retention policy, such as passing a minimum number of units or maintaining a required grade average, to keep both your slot and your tuition waiver active each semester. A student who repeatedly fails units or exceeds the normal duration of their program risks losing the free tuition benefit for the affected term.

How this differs from the Tertiary Education Subsidy

RA 10931's free tuition targets the cost of instruction at public schools specifically. The Tertiary Education Subsidy, by contrast, targets living costs, such as food, transportation, books and internet access, for financially disadvantaged students at SUCs, LUCs, private HEIs and TVIs alike, regardless of whether their tuition is already free. The two benefits stack for an eligible SUC or LUC student: free tuition removes the biggest fixed cost, and TES, where you qualify, helps with what tuition never covered.

What to check before you rely on this

Confirm your specific school's fee schedule with its registrar, since other school fees can be defined slightly differently in practice from one SUC or LUC to another. Passing your target school's entrance exam remains the actual gatekeeper. RA 10931 removes the cost barrier only after you have already qualified for a slot.