The Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) on Wednesday, July 2, directed universities to ensure that all private degree colleges under their jurisdiction do not collect tuition fees from students eligible for fee reimbursement from the state government, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

This move comes after several student organisations raised concerns with the TGCHE and the state government about private colleges forcing eligible students to pay tuition fees, despite being beneficiaries of the reimbursement scheme. TGCHE issued clear instructions to the private colleges to refrain from such practice.

“All registrars of conventional universities must instruct the principals and managements of affiliated private degree colleges, university constituent colleges, and government colleges under your jurisdiction not to collect tuition fees from eligible students,” the TGCHE stated in an official letter to universities.

Meanwhile, members of the Federation of Association of Technical Higher Education Institutions (FATHI) met Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday. They urged the government to devise an alternative financial plan to clear pending fee reimbursement dues without placing an additional burden on the state’s finances.

They also requested the release of token amounts previously sanctioned to private professional colleges, as per the report by The New Indian Express.