Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Getting fee refund the ideal way

File photo: S. Siva Saravanan

Obtaining admission to a college and later withdrawing and getting fee refund is quite a task. —

COIMBATORE: Universities and institutions failing to refund fees to students who wish to withdraw from a college after their admission, either before or after the start of a course, is a perennial issue.

Students who wish to shift to a different college or a professional course usually go through a harrowing experience trying to get refund of the fee as well as return of original certificates from the college where they got admitted earlier.

The Union Ministry of Human Resources, the University Grants Commission, the State Government, the Directorate of Collegiate Education and the Directorate of Technical Education have instructed institutions to refund the fee and return certificates, subject to certain conditions. Most of the students give up after repeated attempts fail while some seek redressal at consumer forums.

Recently eight such cases have been resolved through the forum and the fee was refunded. But, what they do not know is that the issue can be solved at the Office of the Regional Joint Director (RJD) of Collegiate Education, located in Chennai, Tiruchi, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Vellore.

The aggrieved, in the case of arts and science, education and social work, government, aided and self-financing colleges, can take their grievance to this office.

“Aggrieved parties should first approach the RJD with the grievance. If it fails, it should be taken to the Director. Only if the problem is not solved there, should it be taken to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum. This is the correct procedure,” says Nalini Ravindran, Director of Collegiate Education. But, most seem to directly approach the consumer forums.

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