UGC tells higher education institutions to fully refund fees to students who cancel admission

UGC mandates full fee refunds for student’s admission cancellations by October 31, with a ₹1,000 processing fee cap. Punitive action for violators.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked colleges and universities to allow students a full refund of fees within a specified period to “enable them to opt for a course of their choice.”

A circular in this regard was issued by Manish R. Joshi, secretary of the commission, on June 12. It was pointed out that students and parents had been raising many representations/complaints on the non-refund of fees by higher education institutions (HEI) on cancellation or withdrawal of admissions. The UGC came up with a refund policy for the 2024-25 academic year in view of this.

As per the policy guidelines, colleges and universities should fully refund the fees for all cancellations of admissions/migrations of students up to September 30, and with a deduction of not more than ₹1,000 as processing fee up to October 31, notwithstanding anything contained in any guidelines/prospectus/notification/schedule.

Academics in Kerala have claimed that there had been complaints about many colleges insisting on payment of fees for all the semesters in the respective programme if the students seek a transfer certificate (TC) to discontinue the course and join elsewhere.

The commission said the guidelines should be applicable to all HEIs, whether established or incorporated by or under a Central Act or a State Act, and every institution recognised by the UGC under Clause (f) of Section 2 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, and to all institutions deemed to be a university declared as such under Section 3 therein and to all higher education institutions affiliated to a university.

These guidelines will also be applicable to organisations, consortiums, committees, associations and so on constituted for conducting counselling or processing admissions and collecting fees on behalf of participating HEls, and that the HEI concerned will be responsible for the refund.

For admission schedule extending or commencing beyond or after October 31, the provisions contained in the UGC notification issued in October 2018 on Refund of Fees and Non-Retention of original certificates shall apply.