State issues directive on college fees to make admissions fairer

The state government has ordered newly accredited vocational and professional colleges to adhere to the approved fee structure of the Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) and the Fee Policy Committee (FPC). Colleges that disregard these guidelines will be taken action against by the state.

The action follows a number of complaints from both parents and students that some institutions were collecting a higher fee than the one approved. The problem was exposed during the centralized admission process (CAP) carried out by the directorate of technical education and the state common entrance examination (CET) cell.

The department of higher and technical education in the state released a circular on Monday which said that according to the Maharashtra Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fees) Act, 2015, it is required of the colleges to exhibit their course-wise fees. According to the act, fee structures should be exhibited in English and Marathi in a manner that would be easy to notice for students and parents. They must provide the information in addition to their official websites for each academic year.\

The circular states, "The government has clarified that no institution can collect more than the approved fee for a professional degree, or postgraduate and diploma courses." It further states that institutions are also not supposed to take more than a year's fee at a time. According to the circular, if colleges collect any additional amount, in cash or kind, it would be considered embezzlement by law.

These rules are aimed at preventing exploitation of students during admissions, especially those coming from economically weaker backgrounds, or relying on scholarships. Many students have complained that they felt pressured to pay unapproved amounts just to secure their seats. This would often lead to financial stress for their families.

By implementing the rules that already exist, the state aims to make the admission process transparent and fair. In case students are asked to pay any other fee, they can complain to the government or the board of directors of the institution through a dedicated helpline, which will be provided at the State General Examination Room.

One of the members on the FRA committee, Dharmendra Mishra, suggested that students read some parts of the Act and visit official college websites regularly for fee information. "If students or parents find any irregularity in the fees, they must first go to the principal and later approach the FRA," he told ET.

Mishra stated that the FRA had received numerous complaints regarding increased fees in the last academic year, but most were from persons not immediately affected, for which it was hard to take action against the colleges. "We request students to make direct complaints to the FRA so that we can take appropriate action," he further said.

FRA details:

Tel No: 022-31980348 / 8828786264

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