The higher and technical education department has decided to review the fees charged by autonomous colleges following several complaints of overcharging. Although these colleges are allowed to decide their own fees, the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations allow the government to examine whether the fees follow the prescribed norms.
Officials from the higher education department said complaints about high fees have increased with the growing number of autonomous colleges. Students have raised concerns about colleges charging significantly higher fees for conventional courses such as BA, BSc and BCom, particularly for self-financed courses.
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“Some colleges charge around ₹4,000 for traditional courses but as much as ₹60,000 for self-financed courses, even when the same infrastructure is used. Students have complained about this difference in fees,” an official said.
Following these complaints, higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil directed the director of higher education to examine the fees charged by autonomous colleges.
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According to the University Grants Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status Upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2023, autonomous colleges may fix their fees according to the norms prescribed by the state government or the relevant statutory councils.
Confirming the move, Shailendra Devalankar, director of higher education, said, “We got a direction from the minister and now as per UGC norms, we are planning to review the fees charged by autonomous colleges. Currently, 151 autonomous colleges are functioning in the state.”
Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth, a senate member of the University of Mumbai, welcomed the decision, saying that several colleges were charging higher fees and students had been raising complaints about the issue.
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“This is a welcome move. The government should also introduce a standard operating procedure for approving fees charged by autonomous colleges. In technical education, the Fee Regulating Authority oversees fees, but there is no similar system to regulate fees charged by autonomous colleges,” she said.
A principal of an autonomous college in Mumbai said the institution followed the prescribed procedures while deciding its fees, including obtaining approval from the appropriate authorities and informing university officials.
“We follow all the rules while deciding our fees and are ready to provide the necessary documents for the review. The government has the right to examine the fees, but it should also ensure that the process does not affect the financial autonomy of colleges,” the principal said.
