According to UGC, the commission has received complaints from the students who have taken admission in private or self financing or deemed to be universities. Representational image/ file Following complaints received from students, the University Grants Commission has asked varsities and colleges to refund full fees on cancellation being made by the first year undergraduate, postgraduate students for the academic session 2020-21. “ln order to avoid financial hardship being faced by the parents due to lockdown and related factors, a full refund of fees be made on account of all cancellation of admissions/ migration of students, up to November 30, for this very session as a special case. To be crystal clear, the entire fees including all charges be refunded in totality (zero cancellation charges) on account of cancellation/ migration up to November 30,” UGC notification mentioned.
Further, on withdrawal on admissions up to December 31, the varsities should refund the entire fee collected in full after deduction of not more than Rs 1,000 as processing fee. According to the UGC, the commission has received complaints mostly from the students who have taken admission in private or self-financing or deemed to be universities.
The commission has also taken a serious view of such complaints and asked varsities to follow the guidelines mandatorily. “It is reiterated that the UGC guidelines are to be followed mandatorily by all the universities in letter and spirit. Any institution/ university found to be violating the guidelines and refusing to refund the fee by giving its own interpretation of the guidelines shall be liable for punitive actions as notified in clause 5 of the UGC notification refund of fees and non-retention of original certificate issued in October 2008,” read the notification.
The guidelines are available on the website- ugc.ac.in.