Higher edu dept seeks report on fee waiver during Covid-19 pandemic

Higher Education Department has given instructions on Monday to universities and colleges to waive off fees of students whose parents or guardians have died due to Covid pandemic

Pune: The Higher Education Department has given instructions on Monday, November 20, to all universities and colleges to waive off fees of students whose parents or guardians have died due to Covid-19, till the completion of their degree and postgraduate education. Also, other students whose guardians are dead due to the pandemic have been asked to waive the additional fees during this period. Meanwhile, as many institutes have failed to comply with the scheme even after been issued instructions several times during the last two years, a report has been sought from the State Education Department by the end of 2023.

Higher Education Department has given instructions on Monday to universities and colleges to waive off fees of students whose parents or guardians have died due to Covid. (Getty Images/iStockphoto (PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

The state director of higher education Shailendra Deolankar sent a letter on November 17 to all the state universities, asking them to follow the instructions. The correspondence reads, “All the non-agricultural universities of the state have been requested to take a decision at their level as per the agreement given by the Vice-Chancellor in the meeting chaired by the then higher education minister on 28 June 2021. It has been mentioned that for the students whose mother, father, or parents have died due to the outbreak of Covid-19 - the entire fee should be waived till the completion of graduation and post-graduation.”

“Other fees levied for all courses in aided colleges and universities include gymnasium fee, various demonstration activities fee, college magazine fee, computer fee, sports fund, medical aid fund and youth festival, etc. It has been clarified that the fee should be completely waived. It has also been suggested that a 50 per cent discount should be given in the fees for the maintenance of laboratories and libraries and the purchase of e-content in the libraries for Covid affected students,” Deolankar’s letter reads.

In permanent unaided colleges, among other charges such as gymnasium fees, various demonstration activities fees, college magazine fees, computer fees, sports funds, medical aid funds, and youth festival which have not been spent in any way during the pandemic times. Fees levied for that matter should be waived. Similarly, a 50 per cent discount should be given on the laboratory and library fees. In the academic year 2020-21, the examination fees for the year in which the examinations were not conducted should be adjusted in the next academic year. Students should be given the concession to pay the pending fees in 3 to 4 instalments, and if the fees are outstanding, they should not be prevented from applying for the examination. A warning has also been given to ensure that students are not harmed academically since the time they applied for the waiver.

“The directorate has been asked to send year-wise information about how many students have benefited in this regard in the academic years 2020-21 and 2022-22. In the past, the government has informed from time to time, however, compliance is not seen as per this directive in many institutes. The universities are being informed to take action as per the government directives, taking into account the educational interests of the students so that there is no interruption in the educational program of the students,” said Deolankar.