Private colleges to submit fee hike proposal soon

Time of India

24-04-2025

In practice, the committee's recommendations often serve as a formality, while the actual fee structure is finalised through separate agreements between the government and private college consortiums
– Sateesh Kumar, a student
The Common Entrance Test (CET) for professional courses in Karnataka has concluded, and the admission process is set to begin soon. Meanwhile, private colleges are preparing to submit proposals for fee hikes, and doubt looms over whether the Fee Regulatory Committee will have the final say in deciding the fee structure this year.Traditionally, the Department of Higher Education obtains proposed fee details from colleges through the Fee Regulatory Committee. However, in recent years, fee hikes have often been finalised at the last minute through direct agreements between the government and private colleges. This year too, private institutions are pushing for a 10% to 15% hike in fees even as the committee begins its review process. Both the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association (KUPECA) and the Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation (KPCF) have expressed intentions to formally submit their hike demands soon.Sources said that as per the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, the Fee Regulatory Committee had set a deadline in January for colleges to submit fee proposals for the academic years 2025–26, 2026–27, and 2027–28, for engineering, architecture, medical, dental, and AYUSH courses.'Colleges were required to provide detailed documentation, including audited financial statements, course-wise cost breakdowns, proposed fee structures, infrastructure expenses, standard operational guidelines, staff salaries, promotions, academic resources, administrative overheads, and maintenance of buildings and equipment. A dedicated format was sent to colleges for thispurpose,' an official said.However, many institutions failed to meet the January deadline. Once colleges submit their proposed fee details, the committee will evaluate and recommend a suitable fee structure to the government. Implementation will depend on government approval.A similar situation unfolded in 2018, when the government appointed retired Justice DV Shailendra Kumar as the head of the Fee Regulatory Committee. The committee submitted a report recommending an 8% hike, including a fee of Rs 6.32 lakh for medical seats in deemed and private universities. The government did not accept the report. Instead, it signed a consensual agreement with private college associations at the last minute, bypassing the committee's recommendations and allowing a separate fee hike.Sateesh Kumar, a student, said that the recurring trend raises concerns over the relevance of the Fee Regulatory Committee. 'In practice, the committee's recommendations often serve as a formality, while the actual fee structure is finalised through separate agreements between the government and private college consortiums. As a result, the fees decided in these agreements are the ones ultimately enforced,' he said.