Jr colleges demand fee hike
The tuition fee in private junior colleges has not been increased for four years. For the first year, students have to pay Rs 1,760 per annum and for the second year, Rs 1,940. According to private college managements, the fee is negligible.
The colleges want the fee enhanced and paid by the state government. The absence of a fee hike has been leading to a severe financial crisis for the colleges that only gets worse by the delay in fee reimbursements and scholarships.
The Telangana Private Junior Colleges Managements Association alleged that corporate junior colleges were collecting lakhs of fees from students, but they were forced to charge nominal tuition fees.
Honorary president of the Association, G. Satish said, “It has been four years since the state government hiked the tuition fee for the intermediate course, which is why we are demanding a hike by at least 10 per cent.”
He said a financial crunch had led to the closure of many colleges. “We will intensify our protest if the state government does not increase the tuition fee and release the reimbursement and scholarships as soon as possible.”
Co-convenor, Intermediate Joint Action Committee (JAC), Narender Reddy said, “The undivided AP government had promised to hike 10 per cent tuition fee every year but since the formation of Telangana, the government has not implemented it. The Intermediate Board is doing injustice to private colleges whereas corporate colleges are collecting up to `4 lakh. We demand an increase of up to `25,000 for science streams and `15,000 for commerce and arts streams.”
I-JAC president Madhusudhan Reddy said private colleges should be allowed to hike fee by 10 per cent every year. “The govt has to keep a check on colleges to ensure they are following the fee norms,” he said.
Convenor, KG to PG Education, G. Satish said the colleges had expected a lot from the government but did not receive anything. “Till the last date we waited for our demands to be fulfilled, but the government has let us down. We will not sit silently.”