Kolkata: Colleges decide not to increase fee this year

KOLKATA: Several colleges in Kolkata have decided not to increase admission and tuition fees this year. Fees were reduced considerably last year owing to the pandemic. A couple of colleges have even decided to waive off the entire college fee for those students who have lost either one or both parents to the virus.
The government has already announced that colleges and universities cannot charge application fee from students who can apply in as many subjects as they want to. Colleges charge anywhere between Rs 200 and Rs 500 as application fee. So, if a student applies in at least four colleges, he or she might end up spending Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000.

Lady Brabourne College had slashed the admission as well as the tuition fee “significantly” last year to provide relief to students. “We have held internal meetings with the governing body, admission committee and senior teachers and decided not to increase the admission as well as tuition fee this year. The government’s decision to waive off the application fee is very good and we are abiding by that,” said Lady Brabourne principal Siuli Sarkar .
The pandemic has dealt economic blow to several families, forcing them to curtail several expenses. Principals do not want students to discontinue their studies due to fund crunch. Colleges had reduced up to 40% to 60% of admission fee last year.
Basanti Devi College did not increase the admission or semester fee last year. This year, too, no decision has been taken to increase it. Scottish Church has from this semester decided to waive off all semester fee for students who have lost either one parent or both parents to the pandemic. “The students must apply with relevant documents and the fee will be waived,” said an official of the college.
Many colleges had also waived off the hostel fee last year. “Since the students are not using the hostels during the pandemic, we have decided to waive off the fee,” said Sarkar of Lady Brabourne College.