Admission Fees Refund Policy for UGC and AICTE

Topic We Cover: Admission Fees Refund Policy for UGC and AICTE

1. AICTE Fee Refund Policy
2. AICTE Fee Refund Policy: What does it explain?

• B-school to refund fee in all situations: AICTE strict
• AICTE Fee refund rules
• Last Date to Apply for Fee Refund: June 30
• Stage wise Fee Refund amount approved by AICTE
• Application for Fee Refund
• No Institute can pressurize students
• Fee Refund Claim Format

3. Claim Acknowledgement by the institute
4. Salient features of the Notification are as below

Although we all take admission after clearing all our doubts related to the course, related to the university, hostel, etc, but still sometime such situations raise in front of us where we left with only one option i.e. back out or withdraw admission from that particular university. Well! In such case, our main concern is how to get back the admission fees? Or is there any policy to get back admission fees? Actually yes, there is admission fees refund policy by UGC and AICTE.

AICTE Fee Refund Policy

For the academic session 2020-21, the Fee refund rule has amended by AICTE. Now a candidate applying for Fee refund to the institute till June 30, 2020 should get the due amount of his/her fee refunded within a week from the date of submission of the Application at the college.  

AICTE has become stricter on the Fee Refund Norms and has advised the institutes to adhere to the AICTE schedule fixed for Fee refund. The key dates for Fee Refund are as under:

AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) is the controller of technical education and MBA/PGDM in India and works under the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. Recently, AICTE has changed and revised its policy related to fee refund on receiving the complaints that many MBA/PGDM colleges are creating trouble in refunding the fee to the students as per the norms laid down by AICTE, if they do not take admission in the college and claim for the fee refund.

AICTE Fee Refund Policy: What does it explain?

As per the AICTE norms for refund of fee 2020, the AICTE fee refund policy for MBA or other professional course tells us how much the MBA/PGDM college has to refund the students at different stages after deducting their charges. Fee refund is sought by the candidates who have already made the fee payment for admission to MBA and now they do not want to study or because they have got a better MBA college and wish to submit their application for admission fee refund.

B-school to refund fee in all situations: AICTE strict

According to the AICTE norms, fee refund policy grants fee refund of MBA in both the situations-first, if candidate may withdraw from the MBA-PGDM B-school and don’t want to study in or can switch from one B-school to other. The B-school might be uncertain in candidate’s MBA fee refund and may mislead student but in your own interest candidate should refer to the AICTE fee refund policy and should right away claim the fee refund which you have already paid with the B-school for your admission fee.

Although the colleges comes under the top tier MBA colleges strictly follow the MBA fee refund norms, the 2nd tier or 3rd tier B-schools refrain from making fee refund as they feel that their MBA programme may not get full intake and try to force the candidate not to push for fee refund

AICTE Fee refund rules

In the Chapter IV of Approval Process Handbook, all the clauses governing fee refund rules has incorporated by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

• AICTE Guidelines No. - AICTE / Legal / 04(01) / 2007, April 2007) has been referred for fee refund.
• After the cancellation of admission secured through Common/Centralized Admission Process rounds, institute level round(s) and vacancy round(s) of admission, candidate must get complete tuition fee, development fee and other fee, charged by the institute will comprise the amount of total fee for refund
• The candidate, who has been conditionally admitted, may cancel admission by complying an application for cancellation in duplicate, in the recommended format as advised by the institute or available on its site and may request for refund of fee.
• On the basis of the AICTE policy norms, the fees has to be refund as applicable shall be made within the prescribed time /due course by the institute.
• The candidates who have confirmed their admission by paying the prescribed tuition fee and other fees completely as demanded by the institute and by submitting the original documents, as desired by the institute.

Last Date to Apply for Fee Refund: June 30

For 2020-21, AICTE has further tightened its policy for fee refund for the MBA/PGDM B-schools for fee refund. According to the AICTE Approval Process Handbook 2020-21 amended Clause 6.13 of Chapter 6. Below mention points shows AICTE fee refund policy now strictly directs the MBA/PGDM colleges:

• In case an admitted student submitted applications for withdrawal and refund of fee, MBA/ PGDM Institutions shall allow it till 30th June every year
• Within the time period of 7 days, fee refund along with the return of Certificates

Stage wise Fee Refund amount approved by AICTE

On the basis of the AICTE fee refund rules and different rules of B schools, refund should be made after deduction of only the cancellation/processing charges depending upon the time factor when the request is made

Application for Fee Refund

To claim the MBA fee refund you need to write admission fee refund application on the recommended format. It can be the token amount/commitment fee or known by something else that you have already deposited with the B-school to secure your admission.

Guidelines of AICTE needs only the main information should be included in MBA fee refund claim. The MBA fee refund claim format is broadly the same for almost all the MBA colleges except for a few minor changes specified by the respective B-school. It may include their own prescribed printed format or the one to be downloaded from their site on some payment among others.

The onus to provide the prescribed format of fee refund letter/ application as per AICTE fee refund policy lies on the part of the B schools. The fee refund policy is more or less same in all the institutes but each one may have slightly different fee refund claim format with its name printed on it.

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No Institute can pressurize students

It has been directed by the AICTE to the institutes that not to put force on students who do not want to study in the particular institute and facilitate to refund the fee in 7 days from the date of receipt of application of fee refund. Students are not supposed to run from pillar to post to get the prescribed AICTE format for fee refund.

While some of the institutes readily provide the prescribed printed formats available with them to help the candidates and to smoothen the process as per mandatory requirement of AICTE fee refund policy, some others refuse to co-operate and others may simply ask for the well written application to claim the refund.

Fee Refund Claim Format

As per AICTE norms the recommended format for withdrawal of admission and fee refund of AICTE for fee refund 2020 is shared below. Also cross check with the institute whether they have some other format for fee refund.  Application for fee refund/admission withdrawal should be sent to the B-school in 2 copies.

                        Application for withdrawal of admission: Session 2020-21

To,                                                                                           Date:

The Director/Dean

____________    

Res Sir,

I secured admission to ___________ (name of the course vis PGDM/MBA) in your institute on ___________(Date of admission).  I would like to cancel it for the following reasons: _____________________________________________________ (Write the reason)

Name of the candidate: Ms/Mr___________________________________________________( IN BLOCK LETTERS)                 Surname                     Name

Regn number (Applicable exam like CAT/XAT/CMAT/GMAT/MAT/others) __________________________

Residential Address (As registered)_____________________________________________________________________

Mob number:__________________________ email____________________________________

Fee paid Rs.____________(In words)________________________________________________

I am enclosing the copy of fee receipt no._________ dated_____________ Amount______________

I am returning my I- card in original (If issued by the B school) Number____________________

I am also returning other documents/material provided to me by the institute

____________________

____________________     

____________________   

(Strike out whichever is not applicable)

Kindly direct the concerned to return my original documents and refund the MBA/PGDM fee paid as per the AICTE rules.

Thanking You,

Yours faithfully,

_________________ 

(Signature of the candidate)

(Name of the candidate)

Claim Acknowledgement by the institute

If you are thinking to submitting the fee refund request in person,  then please get the fee refund application acknowledged by the authorized person at the B-school under his signature, date and stamp of the institute so that you have a valid proof that you submitted the request else the B school may also throw it in the dustbin.

In case you have sent the fee refund application by speed post/Registered/ courier, please keep the copy of written application and the postal/courier receipt for your record. If you have sent the MBA fee refund claim by courier, instruct the courier service to provide you the Proof of Delivery (PoD) of the fee refund claim letter. No wonder that one day the B school may say you never submitted the request for fee refund.

Please also send the fee refund request on e-mail of the institute and a copy of the request should also be sent to AICTE.

After receiving the Fee refund

You need to provide acknowledgement to the institute on receipt of cheque of fee refund and original documents. The format of the acknowledgement is supposed to include3 following items, although the acknowledgement slip may differ from one college to other.

Received the following original documents from the ____________________(Name of the B school) along with the cheque towards refund.

Cheque no________ date________ amount_________

Original document-1 (details)_____________________

Original document-2 (details) _____________________

Original document-3 (details) _____________________  

 If fee refund not received in 7 days 

• No MBA college can direct or pressurize you to write only the reason of fee refund as it wants. So be careful of it and mention the correct reason of admission withdrawal.
• If you didn’t receive the amount of refund in 7 days then you must send reminder of fee refund claim to the B-school and to the AICTE too. It will proved to be helpful to retrieve your money faster.
• In case after reminders, you still do not get the refund of fees, do not wait. Immediately write to AICTE & MHRD regarding the delay of undue amount. Ask for the compensation also. The institute has no right to withhold your fee beyond 7 days, once you have withdrawn your admission from there.
• Candidate can also complain to AICTE and MHRD regarding the same.  They have rights to instruct  the institutes under AICTE Act
• Candidate may also use RTI asking the B school as well as AICTE to clarify the situation as to why the refund is not made.

Action by AICTE in case of fee refund failure by B-school

In case if B school not refunding the fee amount as per the AICTE fee refund rules to the withdrawing student and on receipt of student’s complaint, AICTE can-

• Issue notice to the institute
• B school should be instructed to give back all the original documents of the student. (If retained)
• disciplinary action should be taken against the B schools
• the grated approval to run the programme or course should be withdrawn
• For 1 year the admission in any course should be stopped
• approval of supernumerary seats in the B school should be suspended
• upto twice the total fee collected from one student should be taken as penalty upon the institute

According to the Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, UGC to issue a notification on Refund of Fees and Non Retention of original certificates by Institutions: A step towards facilitating students in their admission

The Union Minister for HRD Shri Prakash Javadekar held a press conference in New Delhi today. While interacting with media Shri Javadekar informed that UGC will issue a Notification on refund of fees and non retention of original certificates by institutions to facilitate students in their admission.

He further said that the students of our country were facing several problems during admissions, due to coercive and profiteering institutional practices being adopted by some institutions. For the facilitation of the students, the University Grants Commission Notification on Refund of Fees and Non Retention of Original Certificates is being brought out. Now no student will be required to submit any original academic and personal certificates at the time of submission of admission form and Students’ will get refund of fee from the Institution if they withdraw their admission from the programme. This notification shall be applicable to Under Graduate, Post Graduate and Research Programmes run by Universities included under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, all Colleges under their affiliating domain and Institutions declared as Deemed to be Universities under Section 3 of the UGC Act.

Salient features of the Notification are as below-

This Notification will aid the students seeking admission to Higher Educational Institutions in the following manner:

• The fees can be charge by HEIs in advance only for the semester/ year in which a student wants to engage in academic activities. Collecting advance fees for the entire programme of study is strictly prohibited.
• The institute will be required to refund the fees, in case a student withdraws from the programme, in the following manner:

1. 100%: in case a student decides to withdraw 15 days or more before the formally notified last date of admission. Not more than 5% of the fees paid by the student, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5000, will be deducted as processing charges.
2. 90%: within 15 days before the formally notified last date of admission.
3. 80%: within 15 days after the formally notified last date of admission.
4. 50%: in case a student decides to withdraw between 16 days and 30 days after the formally notified last date of admission.
5. NIL: after 30 days of the formally notified last date of admission.
6. The entire caution money and security deposit, which are not part of the fees chargeable, shall be refunded in full.
7. Refund of fees shall be made by the HEIs within 15 days of receipt of a written application from a student.

No student will be required to submit any original academic and personal certificates like marksheets, school leaving certificates, etc., at the time of submission of admission form. In case required, the institution concerned will only ensure verification of the same with the original certificates and these certificates shall be returned to the students immediately.No institution can take any original certificate into their custody.

• No HEI can make it mandatory for applicants to purchase the institutional prospectus at any time during the course of the time of study.
• All HEIs will be required to disclose on their website and prospectus the information regarding the status of the institutions, its affiliating, accreditation status, physical assets and amenities, course-wise sanctioned intake of students, various types of fees payable for different programmes, total fees payable for an entire programme, last date of admission, details of faculty, members of Governing Bodies and minutes of the meeting of bodies, sources of income, financial situation and any other information about its functioning, necessary for an applicant to make a fully informed choice.
• All HEIs will be mandatorily required to have a Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM), according to the provisions of the UGC (Grievance Redressal) Regulations, 2012. This GRM shall be available on HEI website and the HEIs will be required to ensure that all grievance received are addressed within 30 days.
• This notification provides for initiation of strict punitive actions by the Commission against defaulting HEIs:

1. Withdrawal of declaration of fitness to receive grants from UGC.
2. Withholding of grants allocated to the HEI.
3. Declaration of HEI as ineligible to receive any assistance from UGC for General or Special Programmes.
4. Display of notice in newspapers & media and on the website of the Commission regarding non compliance by the HEI to ensure that the general public, including candidates seeking admission in that HEI are well informed.
5. Recommending to the affiliating university for withdrawal of affiliation, in case of a College/ Institute.
6. Recommending to the Central Government for withdrawal of Deemed to be University declaration, in case of an Institution Deemed to be University.
7. Recommending to the appropriate State Government for appropriate necessary action in case of University established or incorporated under a State Act.