CSU Launches Affirmative Action Plan for Students' Admission

CSU offers another way for non-passers of the university admission test to secure a chance of entry to the university with its Affirmative Action Plan (AAP).

The University has officially overtured the AAP’s institution, as per Res. No. 46-06, s. 2019, with an information drive on May 23, 2019. A team headed by Vice President Rolando N. Paluga, the AAP’s lead proponent, visited several branch offices and service centers of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) within Caraga Region in search for partnerships with local agencies through which CSU development programs are advocated and supported.

CSU-AAP is an initiative emanating from RA 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which has not only institutionalized free tuition and exemption from other fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), and state-run technical-vocational institutions (TVET) in the country, but also requires higher education institutions (HEIs) to craft affirmative action programs (AAPs) to make it easier for the disadvantaged students to avail of the free tuition law.

Caraga State University, in its quest for equitable and quality education and its recognition thereof as an inalienable right of all Filipinos, has created the CSU-AAP to function as a remediation and is offered to applicants who took the university’s admission test but failed to meet the university cut-off score. The program has three (3) components, namely: English, Mathematics, and Values for college-bound students who are confronted with difficulty in language and numeracy.

The program ensures the efficient and effective implementation of RA No. 10931, with the following objectives: (1) to increase the participation rate among all socioeconomic classes in tertiary education; (2) to provide right-of-way to students who could have demonstrated academic inclination had they been exposed to quality education in their basic education; (3) to present equitable opportunity to all college applicants in qualifying for a tertiary education; and, (4) to honor the government’s recognition of the university’s complementary role in the tertiary education system.

A number of high-school graduates are hindered to pursue college education because of high tuition fees in addition to miscellaneous expenses incurred while studying. While college education is a valuable key that can help Filipino families break out of the poverty cycle, there really has not been an easy access to getting a college diploma for many disadvantaged Filipinos. With the provision of tuition-free college education, this inequality can be eliminated. As a state-controlled institution, the university upholds the law that promotes social justice toward the advancement of nation building and socioeconomic development.

CSU-AAP cites Section 7 of the IRR: “All SUCs, LUCs, and state-run TVET institutions shall formulate and implement affirmative action programs to enhance access of disadvantaged students, such as Lumads, Muslims, and other indigenous peoples; persons with disabilities; students from public schools; and students from depressed areas”. CSU-AAP takes on adopting an old but proven to be systematic and strategic mechanism among HEIs in facilitating the transition from secondary to tertiary level of education by ensuring that the students’ learning skills are commensurate to the academic demands of college education. The university acknowledges the need for a college-bound program to provide opportunities for college entrants to undergo values clarification and to improve their skills in language and numeracy, the fundamental preparatory to overcoming the hurdles in a university environment.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) for your queries:

1. What is AAP? Answer: AAP is a pre-university program offered to college-bound students who did not meet the CSU Admission cut-off score.

2. Is AAP a college course? Answer: No, it is not a course to any academic program in college. It is a remediation program to help disadvantaged students get equitable and quality education and it is an intervention program to help qualified students who have difficulty adjusting to college life.

3. What are the qualifications? Answer: For non-passers of the Caraga Region SUC Unified Admission Test, you need to provide your test result, an ID for validation, and any documentary evidence pertinent to being a disadvantaged student.

4. What are proofs of being a disadvantaged student? Answer: NCIP COC Form 4, PWD ID, DepEd Form 138, etc.

5. Where do I go to avail the program? Answer: You can go to the Office of Admission and Scholarship (OAS) or to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) in the Caraga State University for any inquiry. You may also email us at oas@carsu.edu.ph and ovpaa@carsu.edu.ph or login to our website at carsu.edu.ph. You can also directly reach us through 09306416362 and look for Ms. Rachel Basañez.

6. Is AAP for free? Answer: Yes, it can be. Once enrolled to the program, students shall be categorized accordingly: Student A (w/ free tuition and other fees + stipend); Student B (w/ free tuition and other fees); Student C (paying).

7. Do I have to take AAP even if I passed the Unified Admission Test? Answer: No, you don’t have to, but you may want to avail the program for any personal improvement purposes.​​​​​​​

CSU-AAP is set to translate the good intentions of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act as enforced by its IRR. Taking the complementary role in its efficient and effective implementation, the university ensures the establishment of a program that promotes social justice and the advancement of nation building and socioeconomic development. The three academic areas in this program prove to be very relevant and necessary for a successful college experience. The program is in consonance with the university’s mandate to provide a focused approach at advancing education through quality instruction and higher learning needed for academic life. JGVB/pico