Two semesters fee being collected within a period of 04 months
Amid the fact that we had submitted and paid our semester fee in the month of June only, authorities at Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora came with another new Notification asking students to submit Semester Registration form along with the fee for the semester alleged a group of students.
Speaking with Kashmir Today, a group of students said that “The financial conditions at our homes aren’t good at all, since 5th August 2019 all the business establishments of valley are suffering. Hardly we are able to suffice to our day to day needs and just in the month June we asked for our university fee from our parents and now again university has published notification asking for fee but due to the financial hardship being faced due to post August 5, lockdown and COVID-19 we are not in a position to make payment of fee.”
They requested the University administration to look into the matter and in view of the prevailing extraordinary difficult circumstances to consider the matter regarding payment of annual/semester fee, tuition fee, examination fee, etc. sympathetically and if feasible, may consider offering alternative payment options to students till the situation returns to normal.”
A candidate part of the delegation, wishing anonymity, maintained that they had made several requests to the administration for ‘Fee Waiver’. However, according to the candidate, they are yet to see any significant follow-up from the varsity authorities.
“We had requested for fee-waiver on the grounds that no classes were held and no subsidiary charges incurred on the Varsity for the facilities it would have to provide us in normal circumstances, however that request too seems to have gone to the bin”, another student remarked.
“Even when Central University offered a 20% refund for regular cases and 50% for special cases, our Varsity stands an exception”, he said.
It may be noted that Earlier Higher education sector regulator UGC has already asked universities and colleges to not compel students into paying fees immediately and look into individual cases sympathetically.