‘ Be careful when signing up for university’
Indian expat Bhatia says reading the fineprint is a must
Parents have been urged to read the fine- print when paying registration fees to universities during tuition discount offers as they will be bound by the attached terms and conditions.
A Dubai parent, who wanted to share his experience, said the university where his son had applied declined to refund around Dh3,200 in registration fees even though he lost his job and the family is repatriating to India. Lal Bhatia said his son never enrolled or attended class in the private university, located in Dubai. Bhatia, who was working in sales for 20 years at a retail operator, added that he had been verbally told that hewould get a refund in case he could not follow through with enrolment as a result of losing his job.
Verbal assurance
However, the receipt document of the fees and the acceptance offer letter say the registration fees are non- refundable. Bhatia said the university should have honoured “the verbal assurance” to refund the fees.
“It’s not like we decided to go to a different university. I lost my job in the pandemic- related restructuring and we are going back to our home country. I had clearly told the university about my situation, that I’m on forced leave and could lose my job soon. They told me I would get a refund in that case,” he claimed.
Mohammad Darwish, CEO of Permits and Compliance at Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said: “Students are clearly informed of all fees and financial obligations prior to enrolment in a higher education programme. It’s important to understand these obligations and work towards honouring financial commitments agreed upon.”