Hyderabad: Engineering students clamour for hike in fee reimbursement

Hyderabad: Even as the State government has not released fee reimbursement and scholarship amount for the past two years, the SC, ST, BC and Minorities background students pursuing engineering in various colleges in Telangana, demanded to increase fee reimbursement amount from Rs 35000 to Rs 50,000.

Few students' organisations pointed out that all the engineering colleges have hiked their fee and this has become a burden on the students, as the government reimburses only Rs 35,000 for engineering students which is not sufficient and was not released yet. In these two years, only 30 per cent of the scholarship amount has been released. As per data for the academic year 2021-2022, the finance department has released Rs 1 crore for fee reimbursement and approximately Rs 3 crore for both (reimbursement and scholarship) is still pending.

Raichur Sharan Kumar, State president, Telangana Engineering Students Joint Action Committee, said "As per the High Court order the State government should release fee reimbursement in three terms for a particular academic year but the government is yet to release funds and has only released a partial fee reimbursement and scholarship is been released that has led hardship to the students. He added that the fee reimbursement amount is not sufficient, as earlier the engineering college fee was Rs 90,000 to 1 lakh but now colleges have increased the fees, it would be better if the government hikes fee reimbursement amount from Rs 35000 to Rs 50,000."

Also due to non-release of the amount, passing out students are struggling to get their certificates. We are vexed requesting the State government to release the complete funds but all fell on deaf ears, he added.

"Due to the delay in reimbursement amount, the university is unable to bear the expense, especially hostel expense, as they are not allowing us to use the basic amenities, fuel to fire is that scholarship amount is also pending, as earlier we used to somehow manage our basic expenses from the scholarship amount, that is Rs 8,000 per year but the government has not released both funds due to this we are facing hardship," said Sandeep(name changed), second engineering student.

"We are done pleading the State government to release the fee reimbursement and scholarship, as now I am in final year and if they do not release amount then I will have to face hardship in obtaining my memos and certificates," said Anil Roa, another engineering student.