NEARLY three in every 10 Filipino students who start college fail to complete their degree, limiting one of the country’s key pathways for social and economic mobility, according to PHINMA Education.
Furthermore, the institution noted that barriers to college completion often begin much earlier, including poor childhood nutrition, literacy gaps, financial hardship, and academic challenges that accumulate over time.
Drawing feedback from its 2023 student cohort, PHINMA Education said financial constraints remain among the leading reasons students leave school, with many reporting that tuition has become unaffordable.
Academic difficulties also emerged as a major factor, highlighting the dual challenge faced by financially disadvantaged students who often enter college with weaker academic foundations while struggling to meet the costs of higher education.
In a briefing, PHINMA Education said it is helping reduce financial barriers by offering scholarship programs such as the Hawak Kamay Scholarship, which lowers tuition fees in certain programs to as little as P5,500 per semester without requiring entrance examinations or maintaining grade requirements.
The institution said it also recognizes that students leave college for reasons beyond finances, including competing life priorities and challenges related to confidence and belonging, prompting it to adopt a more comprehensive student support approach.
High success rates
PHINMA Education reported that this strategy has translated into strong academic outcomes. It posted a 92-percent first-time overall board examination passing rate in the Philippines, with several programs recording 100-percent passing rates.
In Indonesia, first-time board examination pass rates reached 99 percent, including perfect passing rates in Nursing and Midwifery.
The network also said 77 percent of its graduates in the Philippines and 84 percent in Indonesia secure employment within a year after graduation, demonstrating the impact of sustained support on improving social mobility and professional outcomes.
As part of its efforts to expand access and completion, PHINMA Education has forged partnerships with both the public and private sectors. Among these is the NAPOLCOM-PHINMA Education Kaagapay Partnership. It reserves scholarships across 12 PHINMA schools for qualified dependents of National Police Commission and Philippine National Police personnel who are incoming college students.
The institution is also collaborating with industry partners to strengthen employability. Through its partnership with Reed Elsevier Philippines and PHINMA University of Iloilo, students are given internship opportunities aligned with their academic programs, with some interns eventually securing full-time employment and advancing within the company.
Access plus support
CHAIRPERSON Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. of PHINMA Education said access to higher education alone is not enough and that students need continuous support from enrollment through graduation and eventually employment.
President and CEO Chito B. Salazar of Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) added that the institution remains committed to ensuring social mobility for underserved students becomes the norm rather than the exception: ‘Factors that prevent students from completing college are the same barriers that prevent them from accessing higher education in the first place.’
Salazar and PBEd believe that ‘every student, regardless of [his or her] background, has the potential to succeed. That’s the philosophy we operate by.’
‘We’re grateful for the progress we’ve made, but we’re not there yet-if 99 students succeed and one doesn’t, we continue to suffer for the one we lost,’ he said. ‘We continue to push ourselves because our goal is for social mobility among the underserved to become the norm.’