Students in dilemma as govt drags its feet: Studies over, thousands await certificates that hinge on fee dues
In Short
- State government releases about Rs 2,000 cr towards reimbursement arrears
- Colleges begin managing students’ accounts to collect pending fees
- Faculty in several colleges getting salaries in parts
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Students in dilemma as govt drags its feet: Studies over, thousands await certificates that hinge on fee dues
Hyderabad: In a state where the portfolio of education is handled by the Chief Minister, who has promised to raise educational standards to international levels, thousand of students are waiting for their original degree certificates, despite having completed their studies, as the state government has been dragging its feet on clearing its fee reimbursement dues.
The state government's recent release of Rs 2,003 crore towards the Reimbursement of Tuition Fee (RTF) dues to private colleges is apparently a drop in the bucket. It has failed to address the situation, leaving the student fraternity as well as faculty frustrated. According to Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI) Secretary General KS Ravi Kumar, the state government recently released funds. Still, colleges have not received them in full. These funds cover students currently studying in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year. Students admitted during the current academic year of 2026-27 will be covered in the upcoming release. However, the government has yet to release the pending dues from the previous four years, he added.
All this happening though the state government, the Telangana State Council of Higher Education and the State Higher Education Department as well as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had previously invoked the rule position that no college should withhold the original certificates of students on account of the pending fees payments. Still, defiant managements of several colleges are refusing to release the original certificates unless the pending fee reimbursement dues are cleared in view of their financial difficulties.
Adding to this, from the current academic year, the state government has decided to transfer RTF funds directly to students' accounts, causing jitters among several colleges. The reason is that in the past students reportedly failed to clear dues.
Apart from that, speaking to The Hans India, Telangana Schools and Technical Colleges Employees Association (TSTCEA) state unit president Aineni Santhosh Kumar said there were also incidents in which some top colleges, despite having collected fees from students, have been collecting fees released by the state government also.
“Earlier, the college managements used to pay salaries to show that they have paid salaries as per the norms. However, the faculty had to withdraw their salaries and pay back a certain amount deposited towards salaries back to the colleges. This is how colleges, on the one hand, showed paying salaries as per the norms on record but, in fact, paid less. Colleges fear that students failing to clear dues after RTF funds are deposited into their accounts might add to their financial difficulties,” he explained.
“Against this backdrop, managements of some colleges have devised a strategy to collect fees for the current year. Students studying in some colleges were asked to open an account in a bank referred by the respective college. Following this, the college devised a strategy to collect the debit cards from these students to withdraw the funds against the ending RTF. This way, colleges are currently virtually managing students’ accounts,” he added.
Further, the managements of some colleges have started paying salaries in parts. Those with a salary above one lakh are paid 50 per cent. If the salary is Rs 20,000, then they are paid Rs 15,000. The colleges told faculty members they will be paid the remaining salaries as and when the government clears the pending RTF dues. This has left faculty as well as students who have completed their courses in a bind.
Currently, the state government is conducting vigilance inquiries to identify eligible colleges to clear the pending RTFs. Until the vigilance completes its inspections, students who have completed their courses will not be able to collect their original certificates. Likewise, faculty members will not be able to receive the pending parts of their salaries.
