SPPU demands fee waiver report for students who lost parents in pandemic

Students and student organisations complained about the matter several times after which the SPPU demanded a report till July 31

The administrative department of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has instructed all of the university’s affiliated colleges to submit a report regarding college fee waiver for students who have lost their parents during the Covid-10 pandemic. Students and student organisations complained about the matter several times after which the SPPU demanded a report till July 31.

As per information shared by the SPPU, many students have lost one or both parents during the last two years of the pandemic, which has adversely impacted their financial condition. Still, several students and student organisations have complained as the fees of many such students have not been cancelled by their respective colleges. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

As per information shared by the SPPU, many students have lost one or both parents during the last two years of the pandemic, which has adversely impacted their financial condition. Still, several students and student organisations have complained as the fees of many such students have not been cancelled by their respective colleges.

Earlier, the university had published a list of students who have lost their parents to Covid-19 based upon which, their fees were cancelled by the university. However, fees are still being demanded from a large number of such students and they haven’t got the benefit of the waiver from their respective colleges. “I am in the last year of the Bachelor of Commerce degree and in 2020, my father passed away during the first wave of Covid. Since then, we have been struggling financially. This year, the college is again demanding fees despite the university having cancelled our entire fees,” said Mangesh Bhujbal, a student.

“The state government and even the university is playing with the lives of thousands of students who have lost their parents due to Covid. As per the records of the state government, there are only 1,051 students who have lost their parents and asked for a fee waiver. But there are thousands of students across the state who need the benefit of fee cancellation as they cannot afford to pay the fees,” said Kuldeep Ambekar, a student and president of the Students Helping Hand organisation.