TL;DR: UP tuition is free for most Filipino undergraduates under RA 10931, and that has not changed. What people mix up is the Socialized Tuition System (STS), UP's older income-bracket mechanism from 2014 (itself a replacement for the 1989 STFAP). STS never got discontinued, it just stopped being the thing that sets tuition for most eligible undergrads. It still sets the per-unit rate for people RA 10931 doesn't cover: graduate students (PHP 500-4,500 per unit depending on program), Law and Medicine students (PHP 1,500 per unit), most second-degree students, and foreign nationals. Figures below are UP Diliman's published rates; confirm with your specific campus and program.
Introduction
If you've searched "is UP free tuition" and come away more confused, not less, you're not alone. Two different systems get talked about interchangeably: the free-tuition law (RA 10931) that covers most undergraduates, and the Socialized Tuition System (STS), UP's own decades-old income-bracket scheme. They are not the same thing, and knowing the difference matters if you're a graduate student, a second-degree student, a Law or Medicine applicant, or a parent trying to figure out why a UP-bound relative is still getting a tuition bill.
This guide is the deep dive on STS specifically: where it came from, what it still does after 2017, its actual income brackets and per-unit rates, and exactly who at UP still pays tuition today. For the fuller picture of RA 10931 itself, including who's automatically exempt and what free tuition does not cover, see our companion UP tuition fee guide.
Is UP Tuition Really Free?
Yes, for most Filipino undergraduates. Under Republic Act 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017, tuition and other mandatory school fees are waived automatically for Filipino students in their first bachelor's degree, within their program's normal duration plus one additional year, at every UP constituent university. There's no separate application and no household income cap for this base benefit.
That single fact answers most of what people are searching for. The more interesting question, and the one this guide focuses on, is what happens to the other system UP had been running since long before this law existed.
What Is the UP Socialized Tuition System (STS)?
The Socialized Tuition System is UP's income-bracket framework for setting tuition discounts and financial assistance, approved by the UP Board of Regents on December 13, 2013, and implemented across UP's constituent universities starting August 2014. It replaced the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), which UP had run since the late 1980s under a similar bracket logic.
STS evaluates applicants using household income, consumption and expenditure patterns, and broader socio-economic characteristics like family composition, assets, and location, then sorts them into one of six brackets, from a full subsidy plus monthly stipend at the bottom to the full "no discount" rate at the top. As Prof. Richard Philip A. Gonzalo, director of UP's STS Office, described the system's purpose, it exists "to make education affordable" and "to address the needs of students" who require financial assistance.
Was STS Discontinued After Free Tuition Became Law?
No. STS is still active, but its job changed. Before RA 10931, STS brackets were how UP decided what tuition an undergraduate paid, full stop. After 2017, RA 10931 waives tuition automatically for most Filipino undergraduates, so STS brackets no longer determine the tuition line item for that majority group.
STS still matters for two reasons. First, it remains the basis for deciding who qualifies for stipends and supplementary financial assistance beyond tuition itself, benefits RA 10931 does not provide. Second, STS brackets and per-unit rates are still the reference schedule for students RA 10931 does not cover at all, which is the more important point for anyone budgeting outside the "free tuition" majority.
UP Diliman's STS Income Brackets and Rates
| Bracket | Household Income (Incoming/New) | Household Income (Continuing) | Per-Unit Rate / Benefit at UP Diliman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Discount with Stipend (FDS) | Up to PHP 80,000 | Up to PHP 80,000 | Free tuition + monthly stipend |
| Full Discount (FD) | PHP 80,001-135,000 | PHP 80,001-135,000 | Free tuition, no stipend |
| Partial Discount 80% (PD 80%) | PHP 135,001-325,000 | PHP 135,001-250,000 | PHP 300 per unit |
| Partial Discount 60% (PD 60%) | PHP 325,001-650,000 | PHP 250,001-500,000 | PHP 600 per unit |
| Partial Discount 33% (PD 33%) | PHP 650,001-1,300,000 | PHP 500,001-1,000,000 | PHP 1,000 per unit |
| No Discount (ND) | Above PHP 1,300,000 | Above PHP 1,000,000 | PHP 1,500 per unit |
These brackets are UP Diliman's published figures. Other UP constituent universities administer their own STS schedules, which can differ slightly, so confirm the exact figures with the specific campus you're applying to.
Who Still Pays Tuition at UP?
RA 10931's Section 6 spells out who falls outside free tuition, and for those groups, the STS "No Discount" per-unit rate (or a program-specific rate) becomes the real number to budget for.
Graduate students. Free tuition under RA 10931 covers undergraduate bachelor's programs only. At UP Diliman's published schedule of fees, most Master's and PhD programs in fields like the social sciences and philosophy charge around PHP 500 per unit, while specialized programs charge considerably more: MS/PhD Statistics runs PHP 2,500 per unit, and select data science graduate programs (PMDSA/PhD DS) run PHP 4,500 per unit. Graduate tuition is not covered by STS brackets in the same way undergraduate tuition is; rates are set per program.
Law and Medicine students. Both the UP College of Law's Juris Doctor program and the UP College of Medicine charge PHP 1,500 per unit, the same top-bracket "No Discount" rate applied to undergraduates. A full law-school load of 16-19 units runs roughly PHP 25,000-30,000 in tuition per semester before miscellaneous fees, and a 29.25-unit medicine course load runs about PHP 43,875 in tuition. What's notable: STS eligibility rules explicitly exempt Law and Medicine applicants from the general requirement that an STS applicant must not already hold a bachelor's degree, since nearly every Law and Medicine student already has one. That means many Law and Medicine students can still apply for and receive STS income-bracket discounts despite holding a prior degree, unlike most other second-degree students.
Second-degree and non-Filipino students. Anyone pursuing a second bachelor's degree outside Law or Medicine, anyone who exceeds their program's normal duration plus one year, and any non-Filipino student pays the standard, non-RA-10931 rate, which is where the STS "No Discount" schedule again becomes the reference point.
Who Pays What: Quick Comparison
| Student Type | Covered by RA 10931 Free Tuition? | Tuition Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Filipino undergrad, first degree, within program duration + 1 year | Yes | Free (no per-unit charge) |
| Filipino undergrad, second bachelor's degree (non-Law/Medicine) | No | STS "No Discount" rate, PHP 1,500/unit at UPD |
| Law (JD) student | No | PHP 1,500/unit; may still qualify for STS discount |
| Medicine student | No | PHP 1,500/unit; may still qualify for STS discount |
| Graduate (Master's/PhD) student | No | PHP 500-4,500/unit depending on program |
| Non-Filipino/foreign student | No | Separate non-subsidized fee schedule |
Tuition figures above are drawn from UP Diliman's published schedules and may not exactly match every UP constituent university or the current academic year. Confirm current rates with the registrar of your specific UP campus and college before budgeting.
Does This Apply the Same Way at UP Diliman, Manila, and Other Campuses?
Yes, for the core policy. RA 10931's free-tuition benefit applies system-wide to every UP constituent university, including UP Manila, UP Los Baños, UP Visayas, UP Mindanao, UP Baguio, UP Cebu, and the rest, not only UP Diliman. What can differ by campus is the STS bracket schedule and exact per-unit rate charged to students outside RA 10931's coverage, since each constituent university's STS office administers its own schedule. If you're comparing, say, UP Manila's medicine program against UP Diliman's graduate programs, check that campus's specific fee schedule rather than assuming Diliman's numbers apply everywhere.
Practical Tips If You Fall Outside Free Tuition
- Law and Medicine applicants: apply for STS anyway. The prior-bachelor's-degree exclusion doesn't apply to you, so you may still land in a discounted bracket based on household income.
- Graduate students: ask your program directly for its current per-unit rate before enrolling, since rates vary far more by program than undergraduate rates do.
- Second-degree students outside Law/Medicine: budget for the full "No Discount" rate unless a specific scholarship or assistantship applies to your program.
- Everyone: UP's STS bracket figures change from time to time, and RA 10931's implementing details can be clarified through new guidance, so verify current numbers with your college's or campus's registrar before finalizing a budget.
Disclaimer
Tuition rules, STS brackets, and per-unit rates can change by school year and by UP constituent university. The figures in this guide reflect UP Diliman's most recently published schedules at the time of writing. Always confirm current numbers with the registrar or STS office of the specific UP campus and program you're applying to.
Ready to plan your UP journey? Check our UP tuition fee guide for the full RA 10931 breakdown, our UPCAT reviewer guide to prepare for admission, and our list of free tuition universities in the Philippines and the CHED free tuition guide if you're weighing UP against other free options. Or browse schools and compare tuition and reviews across hundreds of Philippine schools on SchoolFinderPH.
Sources
- Republic Act No. 10931, Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (full text)
- University of the Philippines Diliman, "UP's Socialized Tuition System in full swing"
- University of the Philippines, Socialized Tuition System admissions page
- UP Diliman Office of the University Registrar, Schedule of Fees, Undergraduate, 1st Sem 2024
- UP Diliman Office of the University Registrar, Schedule of Fees, Graduate, 1st Sem 2024
- PhilStar Life, "LIST: How much is tuition in top PH law schools?"
- Rappler, "UP to reform student financial assistance program"
- University of the Philippines, Infographic: Student Eligibility for Free Higher Education
