Telangana: Fee reimbursement delay by govt hits students hard

Hyderabad: SC, ST, BC and Minorities background students pursuing higher and professional education courses in various colleges and universities in Telangana are facing great difficulty, as the State government has not released Rs 2,183 crore fee reimbursement for the past two years.

According to students' organisations, around 15 lakh students are dependent on fee reimbursement and as per data for the academic year 2021-2022, the finance department has released Rs 1 crore but still Rs 2,183 crore is pending for the previous academic year and the current academic year 2022-23.

Due to the delay students are facing difficulties, few private schools have not released the certificates and many university hostels are not allowing to use the basic amenities to students, as they have not received the reimbursement amount.

"As per the High Court order State government should release the fee reimbursement in three terms for a particular academic year but the State government is only releasing funds every two years that too only partial amount.

Showing this as an excuse, few private and government colleges are not releasing certificates to the students who had completed their courses. Majority of the students who depend on fee reimbursement are from rural backgrounds and cannot afford to pay the high fees charged by educational institutions. The government reimburses only Rs 35,000 for engineering students, Rs 15000 for undergraduate students and Post Graduate students and Rs 15000 for research scholars which does not meet the full expenditure, the students rue.

Malesh, a research scholar of Osmania University said, "State government has been releasing funds for various schemes but was delaying free reimbursement. As a result, the University is not allowing us to use the basic amenities which includes electricity and food," he said.

"First phase of counselling for engineering students has been completed and also the second phase is in progress and very soon our classes will begin, yet the state government has not released fee reimbursement, the first government only gives Rs 35000 which is not sufficient, it will be better if the state government increases the fee reimbursement scheme amount and release the amount, as once college begins if the college does not receive the fee reimbursement that we student will be facing hardship," said Anil Roa, an engineering student.

ARREARS MOUNTING…

State government managed to send only Rs 1 crore as fee reimbursement last year

Government yet to send Rs 2,183 crore for the previous academic year and the current academic year 2022-23

As per the High Court order State government should release the fee reimbursement in three terms for a particular academic year