Educational Institutions Must Come Clean on Fees

New Delhi, June 22 -- A letter from a parent that I received recently raises some very pertinent questions about the rights of students and parents as consumers of educational services. It also focuses on certain highly exploitative and unfair practices by educational institutions in recent years.

According to the parent, Mr Pranav Kumar, he had to sign an agreement that had a clause saying that he would pay the full course fee, even if his son left the college mid-way. The clause was never pointed out to him, but even if it had, he admits that he would still have signed it, for his son's education.

After a year, his son did not wish to continue there, but the college has his original certificates which they say, would be returned only after receiving the promised fee. In other words, the college is forcing a student who does not wish to continue, to either stay against his will or pay the fee for four years for his 'release'. This is highly unethical and unfair.

T h e U n ive r s i t y G r a n t s Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have issued guidelines directing educational institutions to refund the fee paid by students who wish to withdraw before the start of the course. If a student wishes to leave after the start of the course, and if the seat vacated by the student is taken up by another, then the educational institution should return the fee with proportionate deductions of monthly fee. They have also said that colleges cannot retain the original certificates to force retention of admitted students.

But what about situations such as described above, where the student wishes to leave after a year?