Right to Student Records Act
Filed on March 11, 2026, and referred to the Committees on Basic Education, Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, and Finance; it has been pending in committee since then with no recorded action.
The bill addresses the issue of access to education and student rights.
The bill responds to ongoing issues of financial barriers in education.
Right to Student Records Act
The Right to Student Records Act aims to prevent educational institutions from unreasonably withholding students' official school records due to financial issues and establishes a mechanism to assist financially incapacitated students in accessing these records.
Compared with current law:
Students can be denied access to records due to unpaid fees.
Students cannot be denied access if they are financially incapacitated.
No assistance mechanism exists for students with outstanding balances.
A mechanism will be established to assist financially incapacitated students.
The Act prohibits educational institutions from unreasonably withholding students' official school records due to non-payment of fees if the student is financially incapacitated. It also establishes a mechanism to assist these students in accessing their records.
Source · full text✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.
Stalled: the bill has sat in committee for over six months with no action since its referral on March 16, 2026.
No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.
Senate A Btfier of the Derictarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session ) 26 MAR 11 P4:29 SENATE RECEIVED BY S.B. No. 1964 INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS AN ACT PROHIBITING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS FROM UNREASONABLY WITHHOLDING THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL RECORDS OF STUDENTS, ESTABLISHING A MECHANISM TO ASSIST FINANCIALLY INCAPACITATED STUDENTS WITH OUTSTANDING SCHOOL BALANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCESSING THEIR SCHOOL RECORDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Right to Student
Records Act."
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. Pursuant to Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987
Constitution, the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and make such education accessible to all. The State likewise recognizes the complementary roles of public and private educational institutions in the delivery of education. Consistent with these principles, the State shall uphold the right of students and former students to access their official school records for lawful purposes, including further education, employment, and licensure; ensure that financial hardship does not permanently impede access to such records; and respect the rights of educational institutions to collect lawful tuition and other school fees necessary for their continued operations and delivery of quality education.
SEC. 3. Coverage. This Act shall apply to all public and private basic education
institutions, higher education institutions, and technical-vocational institutions operating within the Philippines.
SEC. 4. Prohibited Acts. It shall be unlawful for any covered educational
institution to unreasonably withhold or delay the release of a student's or former student's official school records, including but not limited to transcripts of records, report cards, diplomas, certificates, and transfer credentials, on the following grounds: a) Non-payment, in whole or in part, of tuition or other authorized school fees, in cases where the student or former student is verified to be financially incapacitated in accordance with the implementing rules and regulations of this Act;
b) Intent to prevent the transfer of a student who has no outstanding financial obligation; c) Discriminatory or retaliatory practices inconsistent with existing laws, rules, and regulations. Nothing in this Act shall prevent educational institutions from pursuing lawful and reasonable means of collecting unpaid obligations in accordance with applicable laws.
SEC. 5. Student Records Assistance Mechanism. A Student Records Assistance
Mechanism is hereby established to assist financially incapacitated students or former students with verified outstanding balances for the sole purpose of accessing their official school records. Provided, That assistance shall cover verified unpaid tuition and other authorized school fees necessary for the release of official school records; a student or former student may avail of the assistance only once; assistance shall be directly remitted to the concerned educational institution; and eligibility requirements, documentary proof of financial incapacity, safeguards against abuse, and processing timelines shall be prescribed in the implementing rules and regulations. Provided, further, That for tertiary education, the assistance shall be administered by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), while for basic education, the assistance shall be administered by the Department of Education (DepEd) through its Government Assistance and Subsidies Office.
SEC. 6. Administrative Authority and Sanctions. The DepEd, CHED, and TESDA
shall have the authority to receive and investigate complaints, conduct due notice and hearing, and impose appropriate administrative sanctions under a graduated system of penalties. Sanctions may include warning, fine, suspension, or other penalties consistent with their respective regulatory frameworks. Any student, former student, parent, or legal guardian may file a complaint with the appropriate agency.
SEC. 7. Monitoring and Reporting. All covered educational institutions shall
submit an annual report to their respective regulatory agency indicating number of school record requests received, average processing time, number of cases involving outstanding balances, and other relevant implementation data. DepEd, CHED, and TESDA shall submit a consolidated annual report to Congress.
SEC. 8. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the implementation of this
Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. Subject to existing budgeting, accounting, and auditing rules, the implementing agencies may utilize available student assistance funds to support the Student Records Assistance Mechanism. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to diminish existing subsidies or educational assistance granted under other laws.
SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the DepEd, CHED, and TESDA, in consultation with stakeholders including educational institutions, student organizations, and teachers' associations, shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules, and
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
7 publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,
Senate Office of the Sectary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 26 MAR 11 P4:29 SENATE RECEIVED BY: S.B. No. 1964 INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS AN ACT PROHIBITING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS FROM UNREASONABLY WITHHOLDING THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL RECORDS OF STUDENTS, ESTABLISHING A MECHANISM TO ASSIST FINANCIALLY INCAPACITATED STUDENTS WITH OUTSTANDING SCHOOL BALANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCESSING THEIR SCHOOL RECORDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Financial constraints remain a significant barrier to educational completion. Studies have found that financial difficulty is a leading cause of student dropouts in the Philippines for both basic and higher education. Despite the growth of the country's middle class, many families remain vulnerable to economic shocks such as unemployment, health emergencies, and other crises that make them susceptible to poverty or financial instability. As COVID-19 has shown, rising attrition rates were attributed to economic instability within households. Students and former students with unpaid school fees often face the withholding of school records, hindering their ability to secure employment or transfer to more affordable schools. Beyond financial difficulties, there have been cases of educational institutions abusing the withholding of school records for unjustified reasons, including preventing students from transferring schools. These actions impose a significant burden on students and their families, which must be addressed and eliminated. Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution mandates that the State guarantee access to education at all levels. In fulfillment of this duty, this bill seeks to guarantee access to education by making it unlawful for educational institutions to
withhold school records due to outstanding financial obligations of financially incapacitated students and former students, to prevent school transfers, or to engage in discriminatory or retaliatory practices across basic, technical-vocational, and higher education. Equally important is ensuring that private educational institutions are paid these outstanding balances in order to sustain their operations. This bill establishes a Student Records Assistance Mechanism to support the full costs of outstanding financial balances of financially-incapacitated students and former students in educational institutions. This measure empowers parents, guardians, students, and former students to file written complaints before the appropriate educational authorities and institutionalizes the authority of the DepEd, CHED, and TESDA to investigate violations, impose administrative penalties, and monitor the compliance of educational institutions to ensure the Act is fully implemented. In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. RISA HONTIVEROS Senator
Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.