CHENNAI: University of Madras has announced a revision in the fee structure for courses offered under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), triggering mixed reactions among students and faculty. The fee hike will come into effect from the 2026-27 academic year.

According to an official communication issued by the registrar on May 6 to the head of departments, the syndicate, in the meeting held on April 1, approved a proposal to enhance fees for both regular and self-supportive courses. The decision was taken based on directions received from the finance department.

As per the revised structure, fees for regular courses will be increased by 10%, while self-supportive courses will see a steeper hike of 15%. The circular stated that the revised fee structure would apply only to courses offered directly by the university departments located across the Chepauk, Marina, Guindy, Taramani, and Chetpet campuses.

The fee revision has drawn varied responses from stakeholders. Several faculty members expressed concern that the increase may discourage students from seeking admission to the university, especially for those from economically weaker backgrounds. At present, the university reportedly faces a significant gap between sanctioned seats and actual enrolment.

“Against a sanctioned strength of 2,149 seats, only 1,492 students have enrolled in 2025-26 academic admissions. The higher fees could further reduce student intake,” said a faculty member.

Students pursuing self-financing courses are expected to be more affected, as annual fees for such programmes currently range between `8,000 and `16,000. Fees for regular courses, which begin at around `4,000 to `5,000 annually, will also rise under the revised structure. He said that government arts and science colleges charge between `1,500 to `2,000 for various postgraduate courses.

However, some faculty members and university officials defended the move, pointing out that the fee revision comes nearly a decade after the last major increase. They argued that the university has been facing financial constraints and requires additional revenue to maintain academic and administrative functions. University officials clarified that the institution has limited discretion in the matter, stating that the revision was implemented following government directives and was linked to performance-based grant allocations from the state finance department.

This story is reported by Binita Jaiswal