Cost of college forms to pinch

City colleges are raking in the cash. The lucrative admission season is here and the sale of lakhs of applications add to the college coffers. The price of forms has rapidly increased over the last five years, making it difficult for students who intend to apply for two or more courses.

Going by current rates, students would have to end up spending between `1,500 to `2,000 if they want to purchase applications for more than two courses. Around five years ago, the combined cost of a college application, prospectus and additional registration ranged between `100 and `150. Students will have to pay 1,500 to 2,000 if they opt to apply for two or more courses. Earlier, the combined cost of application, prospectus and registration was 100 to 150, which has risen to 500 to 650. But, now, the same thing costs anywhere between `500 and `650, with college authorities putting the blame on rise in printing costs.

For instance, at Loyola Degree College, students are forced to shell out `600 per form, including prospectus and registra- tion fees, for all courses. Badruka College of Commerce and Arts charges around `400 for the entire kit.

Degree colleges like St. Joseph’s-Abids, St Francis-Begumpet, St. Ann’s- Mehdipatnam and Bhavan's Vivekananda College are charg- ing more than `300 per form while Nizam College charges around `350 a form. Meanwhile, almost all colleges are making it compulsory to purchase a separate form for each course.

Vijay Reddy, a student, said, “I have already spent `1,200 buying two separate course forms of the Loyola Academy. If I decide to opt for St. Joseph’s College, I would have to shell out another `1,000. No discount or concession is given if we purchase two forms from one college.”

M. Sameer, a parent, said: “We want our children to apply for various courses and not just stick to one. Although we never compromise on buying the forms, it does pinch the pocket!”