Private PU colleges continue to illegally charge exorbitant fees in the name of integrated courses

Despite restrictions by the Department of School Education (Pre-University), PU colleges in Karnataka continue to conduct integrated courses and charge exhorbitant fees

Private pre-university colleges (PU colleges) are continuing to illegally charging double fees for science courses in the name of integrated courses, angering parents.

Parents complained that compared to the previous year, some private colleges had increased the fees by 100% this year for II PU courses and some colleges were charging huge fees for conducting integrated courses right from I PU.

The Department of School Education (Pre-University), in the admission guidelines issued every year, had restricted PU colleges from conducting integrated courses.

The guidelines would say that colleges teaching students in PU colleges in the name of CET, NEET, JEE and others illegally by charging more than the prescribed fee, illegally joining with other organisations or with the help of resource persons other than the lecturers of the college or with the help of electronic media will have their recognition cancelled in addition to legal action against the principals and governing bodies of the said institutions.

However, the department stopped issuing this warning in the guidelines over the last two years. Capitalising on this, private colleges were exploiting the students and parents by hiking the fees, parents alleged.

“A small private PU-college in Vijayanagar of Bengaluru had charged around ₹75,000 fee per annum for my daughter for I PU science course. But this year, for II PU, they are asking ₹1.5 lakh fee per annum in the name of integrated course. They are saying they will coach her for CET, NEET, JEE exams at the college level. I objected to the fee hike but they threatened to withdraw the admission,” a parent alleged.

PU classes started across the state from June 1, 2024. This time, class 10 results have seen a drop of 10.49% compared to the previous year and 2.23 lakh students with low scorers have recently faced annual exam-2. Hence, admissions for PU courses are slow.