Professional colleges demanding excess fee may lose affiliation

Bengaluru: Considering the rise in the number of ‘excess fee’ demand cases against the professional colleges during 2024-25 academic year, the state higher education department has decided to take serious action against such colleges by mentioning about it in the consensual agreement itself.

The decision was taken in the recent meeting chaired by Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar, where the officials of Higher Education department, Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) and chairman of Fee Regulatory Committee were present.

Speaking to DH, Dr Sudhakar said, “We need to take the excess fee issue seriously. In the meeting, it was decided to take stringent action against such colleges and one suggestion was to mention about the action against erring colleges in the consensual agreement itself.”

Meanwhile, the higher education department has also instructed the KEA to publish details about fee regulatory and admission overseeing committees in the fee receipt and in the admission ticket.

“As per our information, there are more colleges harassing students and parents by demanding extra fees. But due to lack of information about the fee regulatory committee and the admission overseeing committee, the students and parents have not come forward to file complaints,” the minister said.

Details about helpline

The KCET admission ticket and fee receipt for the course admission will have details about the helpline and the committee for the affected students and parents to approach.

However, sources from the department stated that the action would not just be restricted to imposition of penalty.

“There are also suggestions to withdraw affiliation of such erring colleges by issuing them notices and it has to be mentioned in the consensual agreement,” sources said.

According to the details available from the KEA, over 174 complaints were received against the professional colleges for demanding excess fees during the 2024-25 academic year.

The complaints are not just restricted to engineering, as shared by the officials, even colleges offering Nursing, MBA-MCA courses indulged in such illegal collection of fees.

Former High Court judge and Fee Regulatory Committee Chairman Justice Srinivas Gowda said, “During the meeting, we have also requested the KEA for proper display of details on the Fee Regulatory Committee during the seat allotment process. The KEA should also create awareness among students and parents to not to pay excess fees, if colleges demand, and in such cases educate them to approach the committee.”