UGC has now sought the intervention of Karnataka governor’s office to ensure that higher educational institutions comply with the fee refund guidelines
Bengaluru: University Grants Commission (UGC) has called out at least 78 colleges and universities in the state for not refunding student fees despite the cancellation of their seats within the stipulated time. UGC issued multiple circulars and notifications on fee refunds between Dec 2020 and June 2024, drawing out rules on refund based on the time at which they withdraw from the course. A deemed-to-be university has four pending cases, adding up to Rs 15.5 lakh. The highest amount a student has to get is Rs 8 lakh for a computer science seat she cancelled in the university. Yet another deemed-to-be university has 13 separate complaints against it. Management and business administration (MBA/PGDM/BBA) ranked as the second most affected stream, with fees withheld ranging from Rs 2.9 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh. Law and allied health sciences also experienced substantial single-student losses, ranging from 2.7 lakh to Rs 3.1 lakh.
UGC said it had forwarded student grievances to the institutions concerned and held meetings to address the issue, but these efforts had failed to yield the desired results. UGC has now sought the intervention of governor’s office to ensure that higher educational institutions (HEIs) comply with the fee refund guidelines, citing persistent complaints from students whose fees have not been returned after they cancelled their admissions within the prescribed period.
M Prakash, secretary, Karnataka Private Post-Graduate Colleges’ Association, said: “Many students take admissions, hold the seats for a while and then withdraw. However, colleges cite losses arising out of students cancelling their seats. When this happens, many colleges will not be able to get replacement candidates at the last minute. This results in losses for the colleges as the seats will remain vacant for the next two years or more depending upon the duration of the course. That is why many colleges are reluctant to give back the fees even though UGC and AICTE insist.”