How much can tuition legally increase, and does the school have to consult students or parents first?
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Yes — consultation is required. RA 6728 (Section 10) requires the school administration to conduct appropriate consultations before any tuition-fee increase: with the parents-teachers and faculty associations for secondary schools, and with the student councils, alumni, and faculty associations for colleges. The law does not set a single peso or percentage cap on the increase itself, but it attaches a spending condition: under Section 5, at least 70% of the proceeds of any tuition-fee increase must go to the salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel (except administrators who are principal stockholders). Increases are also subject to DepEd (basic ed) and CHED (higher ed) regulation, so ask the school to show the consultation and the required disclosures.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
Is there a cap on how much tuition can go up?
RA 6728 does not fix a single percentage cap on the increase itself; increases are regulated by DepEd (basic ed) and CHED (higher ed). What the law does require is prior consultation (Sec. 10) and the 70%-to-personnel spending condition (Sec. 5).
What is the 70% rule?
Under RA 6728 Section 5, at least seventy percent (70%) of the proceeds of a tuition-fee increase must go to the salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel — excluding administrators who are principal stockholders of the school.
What if they raised tuition without consulting us?
Consultation is a legal requirement under RA 6728 Sec. 10. Put your objection in writing to the school and escalate to CHED (colleges) or DepEd (basic education), which regulate tuition increases, attaching proof that no consultation occurred.
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Your rights as a student or parent — whether a school can withhold your transcript (TOR), diploma, or Form 137 over an unpaid balance and how to get your records for transfer, the prior consultation and 70%-to-personnel conditions on any tuition increase (RA 6728), tuition refunds when you withdraw early, who qualifies for free college and the Tertiary Education Subsidy under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA 10931), your right to due process before a school can suspend or expel you (Guzman v. National University), a school's duty to act on bullying (RA 10627, Anti-Bullying Act) and on gender-based sexual harassment (Safe Spaces Act, RA 11313), the prohibition on hazing (RA 8049 as amended by RA 11053), hidden or excessive miscellaneous fees, a revoked scholarship, a school that closes mid-year, and how to file a complaint with CHED (higher ed), DepEd (basic ed), or TESDA (tech-voc).