LABAN Answers · Know your rights. Fight back.
15 answers
Schools & Students
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).
It depends on which record you need, and the rule is narrower than most people assume. A school may generally hold back a credential it issues — your diploma, a certificate of graduation, or clearance — while you still have a genuine unpaid balance, because release is tied to settling your account. But you are generally entitled to your academic records for the purpose of TRANSFERRING to another school: under DepEd's basic-education rules and CHED's Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education (CMO No. 40, s. 2008), student records are meant to move school-to-school on written request so a learner is not trapped. Non-payment of purely VOLUNTARY contributions can never be used to withhold your records. If a school refuses to release records you genuinely need to transfer, put the request in writing and escalate to DepEd (basic ed), CHED (higher ed), or TESDA (tech-voc).
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →Philippine records-transfer works school-to-school: you enroll (or seek admission) at the new school, and the new school sends a written request for your records to your former school, which is meant to forward your permanent record (Form 137 for basic education) or transcript and transfer credentials (an Honorable Dismissal for higher education). Put your own request in writing too, addressed to the registrar, and keep a dated copy. If the school conditions the release only on settling a genuine unpaid balance, that may be permitted for a credential it issues; but if it stonewalls records you need to continue your studies elsewhere, invoke the DepEd basic-education rules or CHED's Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education (CMO No. 40, s. 2008) and escalate to the regulator.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →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.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →Usually a partial one, on a sliding scale — the earlier you formally withdraw, the less you are charged. Philippine tuition-refund rules follow a graduated schedule in the applicable Manual of Regulations: a student who officially withdraws in the first days or weeks of classes is charged only a small percentage of the fees, and the charge rises to the full amount once you are past the early cutoff (commonly around the second week of classes). Because the exact percentages and cutoff depend on the current issuance for your school level, do not rely on a figure you saw online — ask your registrar in writing for the school's refund policy and the governing rule, and if it is refused or misapplied, escalate to CHED (higher ed) or DepEd (basic ed).
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →Free tuition applies at STATE-run and state-recognized schools, not everywhere. Under RA 10931 (Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, 2017), qualified students are exempt from tuition and other school fees in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and CHED-recognized Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) for undergraduate programs (Section 4), and in state-run Technical-Vocational Institutions for post-secondary TVET (Section 5), subject to each school's admission and retention rules. Students in private schools and all TVIs are not left out entirely: the law also created the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES, Section 7) and a Student Loan Program (Section 8), both administered by the UniFAST Board together with CHED and TESDA.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →A school may condition your re-enrollment on settling a genuine unpaid balance from a prior term, but it cannot refuse re-admission arbitrarily or for improper reasons, and it cannot use non-payment of a purely voluntary contribution as the basis. The Supreme Court has held that a school cannot deny re-enrollment without due process where the ground is disciplinary or based on unpublished rules (Guzman v. National University, 1986). If the balance is disputed, put your position in writing, ask the registrar for a written statement of the exact amount and its basis, and — if you need to move on — invoke the school-to-school records-transfer process so an old balance does not trap you. Escalate to CHED (higher ed) or DepEd (basic ed) if the refusal is arbitrary.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →Yes, you have due-process rights, and a school cannot expel or suspend you arbitrarily. The Supreme Court in Guzman v. National University (G.R. No. L-68288, July 11, 1986) laid down the minimum standards of due process for student discipline: (1) you must be informed in writing of the nature and cause of the accusation; (2) you have the right to answer the charges, with counsel if you wish; (3) you must be informed of the evidence against you; (4) you have the right to present evidence in your defense; and (5) the evidence must be duly considered by the investigating committee or official deciding the case. A penalty imposed without these steps is vulnerable to challenge; put your objection in writing and escalate to CHED (higher ed) or DepEd (basic ed).
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →Under RA 10627 (Anti-Bullying Act of 2013), every elementary and secondary school — public and private — is required to adopt policies to prevent and address bullying, including cyber-bullying, with clear procedures for reporting, investigating, and responding to incidents. Its implementing rules (DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2013) require schools to act on reports, keep records, and report incidents to the schools division. Put your report to the school in writing, ask for a copy of the school's anti-bullying policy and the action taken, and if the school fails to act, escalate to the DepEd Schools Division Office and the DepEd action center.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →Yes — hazing is prohibited. RA 8049 as amended by RA 11053 (Anti-Hazing Act of 2018) bans all forms of hazing in fraternities, sororities, and organizations in schools. Critically, the victim's consent is NOT a defense: any approval, agreement, or waiver by the recruit is void, so no one can excuse hazing by saying you 'agreed' to it. The law also requires schools to conduct anti-hazing orientation and to monitor initiation activities, and it imposes heavy penalties — up to reclusion perpetua and fines up to ₱3,000,000 where death or serious physical injury results, with separate liability for those merely present or who obstruct. Report incidents to the police and the school; hazing can be prosecuted as a criminal case.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →The Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313, 2019) covers gender-based sexual harassment in educational and training institutions (Article IV, Sections 21–24). Schools have concrete duties: designate an officer to receive complaints, adopt and disseminate a policy against gender-based sexual harassment, run information campaigns, and maintain a Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) to investigate and act on complaints. School heads can be held liable for failing to act on a report. File your complaint with the school's designated officer or CODI in writing, keep evidence and copies, and if the school fails to act, escalate to CHED (higher ed) or DepEd (basic ed).
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →School fees are regulated, and a school should be able to disclose and justify every fee it collects. Tuition and other fees for private schools fall under DepEd (basic ed) and CHED (higher ed) regulation, and any tuition or other-fee increase is subject to the prior-consultation and disclosure requirements of RA 6728 (Section 10). A fee that was never disclosed, has no stated purpose, or was imposed without the required consultation can be questioned: ask the registrar in writing for an itemized breakdown of all fees and their basis, withhold nothing you actually owe, and escalate unexplained or improperly imposed charges to CHED or DepEd, which set and enforce fee rules.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →A scholarship or a free-tuition/subsidy slot generally comes with published retention conditions (grades, unit load, good standing), and it can be withdrawn if you genuinely fail to meet them — but not arbitrarily and not without telling you the basis. Ask the grantor in writing for the specific ground and the rule you allegedly breached, and request any appeal or reconsideration process. For free tuition and the Tertiary Education Subsidy under RA 10931, retention follows each school's admission and retention rules and the program guidelines; if you believe the revocation was mistaken or unfair, appeal in writing and escalate to the administering body (CHED / the UniFAST Board, or DepEd for basic-education grants). Keep all notices and your records of compliance.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →When a school closes or a program is discontinued, your two priorities are your records and any tuition you paid for education you did not receive. Regulators oversee closures: CHED for higher education and DepEd for basic education require an orderly wind-down, including the safekeeping and transfer of student records and, typically, assistance to place affected students in other schools. Immediately request certified copies of your records and transcript in writing, keep all your receipts and proof of payments, and file with CHED or DepEd, which hold the closing school's records and can direct where they are deposited. Where you paid for a term you could not complete, raise a refund claim in writing and escalate it to the regulator with your receipts.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →File with the school's primary regulator, matched to its level: CHED for colleges and universities (higher education), DepEd for basic education (kindergarten to senior high), and TESDA for technical-vocational programs. CHED accepts complaints through its Citizens' Complaint System (complaint.chedapas.com) and its regional offices; DepEd through its Public Assistance / Action Center and the Schools Division Office with jurisdiction over the school; TESDA through its Public Assistance and Complaint Desk. Exhaust the school's internal process first where possible, then file in writing with a clear statement of facts, the rule or right involved, and copies of your evidence (receipts, letters, the school's responses). The government's 8888 Citizens' Complaint Hotline can also route concerns.
Read the full answer, sources & FAQ →Education in public basic-education schools is free, and non-payment of a purely VOLUNTARY contribution — such as a PTA fee, membership fee, or donation that is not a required school charge — cannot be used to withhold a learner's report card, clearance, or records, or to bar a child from examinations. DepEd's long-standing rule is that voluntary contributions are voluntary: a learner cannot be denied admission, promotion, or their records for not paying one. If a public school conditions a report card, exam, or clearance on a voluntary contribution, raise it in writing with the school head and escalate to the DepEd Schools Division Office and action center. Ask which charges are official and required versus voluntary.
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