MHRD: HEIs to refund fee; disclose student intake, faculty, accreditation details on website

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 12: The University Grants Commission (UGC) will soon issue a notification for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to refund fees of students if they withdraw their admission from the programme. The students will also no longer need to submit an original academic and personal certificates along with the admission form.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has asked the HEIs to publish all the information including affiliating, accreditation status, faculty, sanctioned intake, etc.

The Union Minister for HRD Prakash Javadekar interacting with media informed that the UGC will issue a Notification on refund of fees and non-retention of original certificates by institutions to facilitate students in their admission.

He further informed that all HEIs will be required to disclose on their website and prospectus the information regarding the status of the institutions, its affiliating, accreditation status, physical assets and amenities, course-wise sanctioned intake of students, various types of fees payable for different programmes, total fees payable for an entire programme, last date of admission, details of faculty, members of Governing Bodies and minutes of the meeting of bodies, sources of income, financial situation and any other information about its functioning, necessary for an applicant to make a fully informed choice.

As per the new regulations, no student will be required to submit an original academic and personal certificates at the time of submission of admission form and Students’ will get the refund of fee from the Institution if they withdraw their admission from the programme.

The UGC notification shall be applicable to Under Graduate, Post Graduate and Research Programmes run by all HEIs.

Salient features of notification:

The HEIs can charge fees in advance only for the semester/ year in which a student wants to engage in academic activities. Collecting advance fees for the entire programme of study is strictly prohibited.

The institute will be required to refund the fees, in case a student withdraws from the programme, in the following manner:

100%: in case a student decides to withdraw 15 days or more before the formally notified last date of admission. Not more than 5% of the fees paid by the student, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5000, will be deducted as processing charges.

90%: in case a student decides to withdraw within 15 days before the formally notified last date of admission.

80%: in case a student decides to withdraw within 15 days after the formally notified last date of admission.

50%: in case a student decides to withdraw between 16 days and 30 days after the formally notified last date of admission.

NIL: in case a student decides to withdraw after 30 days of the formally notified last date of admission.

The entire caution money and security deposit, which are not part of the fees chargeable, shall be refunded in full.