MANILA, Philippines – Acknowledging the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on families, the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) will give students one year to settle unpaid tuition and other fees for the second semester of academic year 2019-2020.
PLM will also allow students with unsettled accounts to enroll in the next semester.
A big chunk of the education cost at PLM is shouldered by the City of Manila and the national government but some students, particularly those enrolled in postgraduate programs, pay tuition and miscellaneous fees.
Under the new policy, those who have unpaid balances will only have to pay one-third of the amount, with the remainder to be settled within a year and split into 3 equal installments.
The PLM Board of Regents approved the policy during their May 29 meeting on the proposal submitted by management.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of our people economically, including the PLM community. We are hoping to lighten their load and give them time to get back on their feet with minimal disruption in their studies,” said PLM University President Emmanuel Leyco.
PLM had earlier given students passing marks for the second semester of the recently concluded school year to ease their worries over meeting school requirements during the lockdown. Graduating students were also given additional time to finish their thesis or dissertations.
With coronavirus cases still on the rise, PLM will employ blended learning strategies for the upcoming school year. Its caculty will also be trained to deliver virtual lessons to students. (READ: Free app aims to revolutionize distance learning in PH schools)
PLM said the uncollected tuition fees and other school revenues will help the school acquire broadcasting and video recording equipment, software, and online delivery channels. It added that classrooms and audio-visual rooms will need to be retrofitted for the new setup. (READ: FAST FACTS: DepEd's distancing learning)
“The university is currently building its capability to deliver its programs from a digital platform that will connect our faculty and students,” Leyco said. – Rappler.com
