UGC Flags 78 Karnataka Colleges Over Pending Fee Refunds, 110 Students Yet to Receive Money
The UGC has flagged 78 Karnataka colleges and universities over pending fee refund complaints. Of 132 unresolved cases, 110 reportedly involve students who have received no refund. The commission has sought the Governor’s intervention to ensure compliance with fee refund rules.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has flagged 78 colleges and universities in Karnataka over unresolved student fee refund complaints. According to a report published on October 28, a total of 132 complaints related to pending fee refunds remain unresolved in the state, with students waiting to recover money after cancelling their admissions.
Of the 132 complaints, 110 cases have reportedly received no refund, while 22 have received only partial refunds. The cases relate to the period between 2020 and 2025.
The commission has now sought the intervention of the Governor’s office to ensure that higher education institutions comply with its fee refund guidelines. The move follows repeated communications and follow-ups that have failed to resolve several student grievances.
Engineering Students Among Those Awaiting Refunds
Engineering courses account for some of the largest amounts that students are waiting to recover. The pending refunds in these cases range from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8.3 lakh, with computer science, electronics and communication, aerospace, and mechanical engineering among the affected disciplines.
Management courses, including MBA, PGDM and BBA programmes, are another major category of complaints. The amounts involved range from Rs 2.9 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh.
Complaints have also been reported in law and allied health sciences, where individual students are waiting for refunds ranging from Rs 2.7 lakh to Rs 3.1 lakh.
In one case involving a deemed-to-be university, four pending complaints account for Rs 15.5 lakh in total. One student is reportedly awaiting a refund of Rs 8 lakh after cancelling a computer science seat. Another deemed-to-be university has 13 complaints against it.
UGC Seeks Governor’s Intervention
The UGC has said that repeated written communications, telephone follow-ups and meetings with the institutions have not resulted in the resolution of several complaints.
The commission had forwarded student grievances to the institutions concerned and held consultations to address the issue. However, a number of cases remain pending.
The UGC has therefore requested the Governor’s office to intervene and ensure that colleges and universities follow the prescribed fee refund rules.
The commission has maintained that continued non-compliance causes financial difficulties for students and their families and undermines confidence in the higher education system.
Why Colleges Are Reluctant to Refund Fees
Colleges have cited financial losses when students cancel their admissions after holding seats for some time.
M Prakash, secretary of the Karnataka Private Post-Graduate Colleges’ Association, said institutions may struggle to find replacement candidates when students withdraw at the last minute. Vacant seats can result in losses for colleges, particularly when they remain unfilled for the duration of a course.
He also said colleges should refund fees when they are able to fill the vacated seats with other candidates.
However, the UGC’s fee refund guidelines require institutions to follow the applicable refund rules based on when a student withdraws admission.
UGC Fee Refund Rules: How Much Can Students Get Back?
The UGC’s fee refund framework sets out different refund percentages depending on when a student cancels admission in relation to the formally notified last date of admission.
| Time of admission cancellation | Fee refund |
|---|---|
| 15 days or more before the notified last date of admission | 100% |
| Less than 15 days before the notified last date of admission | 90% |
| Within 15 days after the notified last date of admission | 80% |
| More than 15 days but within 30 days after the notified last date of admission | 50% |
| More than 30 days after the notified last date of admission | 0% |
The applicable refund depends on the circumstances and the relevant UGC guidelines. Students should check the rules governing their admission year and institution when seeking a refund.
The UGC’s latest move highlights the continuing problem of delayed fee refunds in Karnataka, with more than 100 complaints reportedly involving students who have received no money back after cancelling their admissions.
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Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV’s Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department’s social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy. Sahil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
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