Private colleges can't force tribal students to pay fee if they are eligible for scholarship, warns Kovai Collector 

Coimbatore District Collector GS Sameeran has instructed private higher educational institutions that they should not force the tribal students who are eligible for scholarship from the government, to pay the institution's fees. In a release from his office, Sameeran asked the parents and tribal students to file a complaint either at his office or the office of District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department if they were forced to pay tuition fees by the private institutions. 

Sameeran said, "There is a complaint from the students that colleges are demanding that they pay tuition fees. Tamil Nadu government has given an exemption for paying education fees for tribal students in arts and science colleges, polytechnic colleges, engineering, medical and law colleges. This exemption is also eligible to tribals who converted to Christianity." 

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Students can submit the required documents including community certificates, income certificates and bank details at the admission office in respective college during the admission process. He said that the colleges have no right to collect fees from the students directly claiming that fees from the government are yet to be paid to them. 

He asked the students  to report their complaint directly or via telephone at Adi Dravidar Welfare Department - 0422 2303778.