UGC Flags 78 Karnataka Colleges Over Pending Fee Refunds; 110 Students Await Money

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has flagged 78 colleges and universities in Karnataka for failing to refund student fees after admission cancellations. According to the reported data, the commission has received 132 unresolved complaints from the state, of which 110 students have not received any refund, while 22 have received only partial refunds. The complaints relate to the period between 2020 and 2025. After repeated attempts to resolve the grievances through institutional communications and meetings, UGC has now sought the intervention of the Governor's Office to ensure that higher education institutions (HEIs) comply with its fee refund guidelines.

UGC Reports 132 Pending Fee Refund Complaints in Karnataka

The complaints concern students who cancelled their admissions within the prescribed period but have not received the eligible refund amount.Of the 132 unresolved cases, 110 students are yet to receive any money, while 22 have received only a partial refund. UGC had previously forwarded the complaints to the institutions concerned and held meetings to address the issue.

However, these efforts have not produced the desired results, with several student grievances remaining unresolved.One deemed-to-be university has four pending complaints involving a combined amount of ₹15.5 lakh. In one case, a student is awaiting a refund of ₹8 lakh after cancelling her admission to a Computer Science programme. Another deemed-to-be university has 13 separate complaints against it.

Engineering Students Report Some of the Highest Pending Refunds

Engineering programmes account for several of the largest individual refund claims reported to UGC. Students from Computer Science, Electronics and Communication, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering are among those awaiting substantial amounts.The reported pending refund amounts across different disciplines include:

Management and business administration programmes are the second most affected category, with students awaiting refunds ranging from ₹2.9 lakh to ₹6.5 lakh. Law and allied health sciences have also reported substantial individual refund claims, indicating that the issue affects students across multiple higher education streams.

UGC Seeks Governor's Intervention to Enforce Fee Refund Rules

UGC has approached the Governor's Office after its earlier efforts to resolve student complaints failed to produce the expected results. The commission has reportedly forwarded student grievances to the institutions concerned and conducted meetings to encourage compliance. However, several complaints remain unresolved despite these interventions.Through its latest move, UGC wants the Governor's Office to ensure that higher education institutions follow the prescribed fee refund guidelines and return eligible amounts to students who cancelled their admissions within the permitted period.

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