Prospectus portends costly prospect

Students and parents are a confused lot, because in many colleges they are told the prospectus is optional, while that distinction is not made by some institutions. Unaware of the Department rules, many parents end up shelling out at least Rs 150 to buy the prospectus.

With SSLC results two days away, parents fear they would have to dig deep into their pocket, buying application forms and prospectus from different colleges. 

And that before they have to shell out money for admission fees. The average fee structure for science courses ranges from Rs 24,000 to Rs 30,000 and for commerce streams, the fee is from Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000.

Recently, the PU Department had passed an order stating that no college must charge in excess of Rs 21 for the application forms, or compel the students to buy the prospectus of the institute. This had apparently created confusion for colleges, since they wanted to issue the prospectus along with the forms. Some colleges have reportedly decided to postpone the process by a few days to get more clarity from the government.

Meanwhile, institutions such as the Mahaveer Jain College have started selling forms with free prospectus. Some parents took this as a norm and were taken aback when a reputed college demanded Rs 150 for the prospectus.

Said Manohar Rao, a parent: “We are aware of the change in scheme, but we are not sure what to do.” Colleges such as Mount Carmel College and Baldwin’s Methodist College, which have already started issuing application forms, are not insisting on the purchase of the prospectus.