Social Welfare Department Orders Private Colleges to Stop Charging Fees from SC/ST Students
Bengaluru, September 6, 2024 — The Karnataka Social Welfare Department has issued a stringent directive to private colleges, prohibiting them from charging fees from SC/ST students during admission. This move comes in response to widespread complaints that students from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are being pressured to pay fees upfront, despite the availability of reimbursement options.
According to the new guidelines, private colleges must not demand any mandatory fees from SC/ST students whose family annual income does not exceed ₹2.50 lakh. The department has emphasized that only deposits refundable upon reimbursement should be collected from these students, if applicable.
The department's decision follows reports of delays in fee reimbursement and undue pressure on students to pay upfront. Many private colleges have been collecting fees from these students despite promises of reimbursement, leading to financial strain and grievances among the affected families.
The Social Welfare Department has instructed that after the disbursement of scholarships via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), colleges should verify the amount and adjust any remaining fees accordingly. Detailed fee structures for various courses must be submitted directly to the state scholarship portal by the respective departments, universities, and boards.
Additionally, the department has mandated that no extra fees be collected from students admitted under government quota seats. The responsibility to update fee details within the stipulated period falls on the concerned departments and universities. Any discrepancies in fee approvals will be the direct responsibility of these institutions.
The directive also underscores that students eligible for scholarships should not be burdened with additional mandatory fees, and technical education institutions are expected to adhere to the same guidelines.
The directive has been specifically emphasized to 208 engineering colleges under Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and has been broadly applied to major universities including PES, RV, Dayananda Sagar, and Christ University.
This new regulation aims to alleviate financial pressures on SC/ST students and ensure they receive the education they are entitled to without additional financial strain.
