Notice on fees irks aided colleges in State

A recent notice from the Department of Collegiate Education (DCE) to private, unaided colleges in the State, regarding collection of tuition and laboratory fees, has irked managements.

The notice threatens action against colleges, including withdrawal of salary grants, if they fail to pay the government 50 per cent of the fees collected from students from 2004-05 to 2014-15.

According to an agreement between the government, and private and aided colleges in 1977, the colleges were permitted to collect fees twice the standard rates prescribed by the government. The colleges were to remit 50 per cent of this to a joint account (salary account). The remaining 50 per cent would go to a college development account. However, in 2003, the colleges were directed to pay the entire amount to the joint account.

The representative of a private, aided college, said the matter had found conclusion in the Legislative Assembly recently where it was decided that the earlier system of payment would be followed. “Even after that, showcause notices have been coming to the colleges threatening withdrawal of salary grants,” the representative said.

The tuition fee and lab fee adds up to roughly Rs. 4,300 per student, management representatives said, which will ultimately cost crores of rupees per college if they have to cough up this amount for nearly 10 years. “The government is paying the salary of the staff, but who will pay for the other maintenance?” a representative said.

The Private College Managements’ Association had earlier submitted a representation to the Higher Education Minister R.V. Deshpande seeking intervention. In it, the members have expressed their anxiety at the development and have specified that paying 50 per cent of the fee collected to the government was clear at the time of agreeing to the grant-in-aid system. The college representatives have said that the amount that goes into the college development account is used to meet expenses relating to stationery, office equipment and other infrastructural requirements.