PROCEDURE FOR THE COLLECTION AND REFUND OF FEES IN GOVERNMENT COLLEGES AND PRIVATE COLLEGES WHICH HAVE COME UNDER THE DIRECT PAYMENT SCHEME

1.       Applicability of Chapter to Evening Colleges: -

Nothing contained in this Chapter shall apply to Evening Colleges, Medical Colleges and Ayurveda Colleges.

2.       Mode of Collection of Tuition Fees: -

Tuition fees shall be collected in eight equal instalments in the months of June, August, September, October, November, December, January and February respectively.  The first instalment of fees including the special fees prescribed and Caution Deposit shall be collected from the students of Senior Classes within a period of seven consecutive working days beginning from the date of reopening of the college.  In the case of Junior Classes, the instalments of Tuition fees due till the date of admission with special fees and Caution Deposit shall be collected on the date of admission.  Subsequent instalments shall be collected on or before the 7th consecutive working day of the month concerned.

*        It shall be open for the students to remit the Tuition fees in one lump in the beginning of the academic year or in three termly instalments if they so desire.

The Principal of the College may fix the due date for collection of fees for each instalment for various classes within the seven consecutive working days.

Provided that in respect of Engineering Colleges, fees shall be collected in such number of equal instalments, and subject to such conditions and terms as the Government, may, by order direct.

3.       Competency of the Principal to change the fee dates:-

The Principal shall be competent to change the fee dates for particular class/classes so fixed to an earlier or to a subsequent date if it so happens that the college is ordered to remain closed by competent authority on that particular date originally proposed for collection of fees.

In such cases, a copy of the notice of the Principal, notifying the change in fee date shall be preserved and produced for audit purposes.

4.       Payment of fine for default:-

 If any student fails to pay the fees or special fees on the due date, he/she shall be liable to pay a fine of 25 P. along with the fees or special fees on or before the 10th day after the due date.  If the 10th day happens to be a holiday, the next working day shall be counted as the 10th day.

*   Introduced vide Amendment No. 72

5.     Consequences of non-payment of fees: -

If the fees or special fees with the fine of 25 P. is not paid on or before the last date fixed for the fine of 25 P., an additional fine of rupee one shall be paid.  If the fees and fines of an instalment are not paid before the last opportunity given for payment of that instalment, the name of the student shall be removed from the rolls of the College with effect from the date following the expiry of this period and the student shall not get the benefit of attendance from the date of removal from the rolls of the college.  If the student is to be re-admitted, he/she has to apply for the special permission of the Principal and also has to remit all the arrears of fees with fine.  No re-admission fee shall be realised in such cases of re-admission.  The re-admitted students shall get the benefit of attendance only from the date of re-admission.

Explanation: - For the purpose of this Ordinance, the last opportunity for payment of an instalment of fee mentioned is the last working day previous to the due date of the succeeding instalment.  But in the case of the last instalment, i.e., the fee due for February, the last opportunity is fixed as 5th March.  If the 5th March happens to be a holiday, then the last working day previous to such date shall be considered as the last opportunity.

6.     Publication of the names of defaulters:-

(1)      The names of defaulters of an instalment shall be published on the notice board immediately after expiry of the last opportunity fixed for payment of that instalment.

(2)      Notwithstanding anything contained in these Ordinances the expression ‘term’ as used in this Chapter shall mean the following –

                I Term         June, July, August and September

                II Term        October, November and December

                III Term      January, February and March

7.     Payment of fees in certain other cases: –

Students who are admitted for a term for making up shortage of attendance for the course which they were undergoing shall pay one third of the Tuition fees for the year together with full special fees, and Caution Deposit at the time of admission.  Only such of those former students of the respective colleges shall be admitted as term students.

8.     Payments of fees by casual students: -

In the case of casual students (undergoing one year’s course) all fees including special fees and Caution Deposit due for the whole year shall be collected at the time of admission.

9.     Payments of fees by students on rolls:-

Every student is liable to pay the prescribed fee for the whole term during any part of which his/her name is on the rolls of the college:

Provided that if a student studying in the Arts and Science Colleges and Sanskrit Colleges, for the Pre-degree or Post-Graduate courses after obtaining Transfer Certificate from the Institution, is admitted to the same course of study in any other similar college he/she shall not be called upon to pay over again the fees already paid for the term in the College which issued the Transfer Certificate.  But special fees and Caution Deposit shall be paid afresh at the new college.

Explanation: - For the purpose of this Ordinance, transfer from one Institution to another such Institution includes cases of transfers from a Private College to a Government College and vice-versa and from a College affiliated to one University in the State to a College affiliated to another University in the State.

10.   Payment of fees by students who seek transfer :-

 A student who leaves a particular College affiliated to any of the Universities in Kerala and joins another College so affiliated during the course of a term consequent on the transfer of any of his/her parents who is/are in the employ of Government or otherwise, is liable to pay the prescribed fees for the terms concerned only to the College from where he gets the Transfer Certificate.  He shall produce the receipt at the College where he joins afresh.

11.   Collection of fees for late admissions:-

In the case of students admitted late after the commencement of the academic year, the fees for the preceding months, if any, shall be collected at the time of admission.

12.   Refund of fees: -

If in a particular term a student who stands admitted in a College, but did not attend the class on any day or part of the day requests permission to discontinue his/her studies in that College and takes Transfer Certificate on that accord, the refund of fees may be ordered in his/her case.  The claim for refund in such cases shall be preferred by the student to the Principal by submitting an application within 2 months from the date of leaving the College as revealed from the entries in the Transfer Certificate issued to the applicant.  If the application for refund is not submitted before this period, the claim for refund shall be forfeited.

Explanation: - For the purpose of this Ordinance, a student who stands promoted to the next higher class at the end of each academic year and pays the first instalment of fees in the succeeding year but takes the Transfer Certificate without attending any class in such year is entitled to refund of fees as provided herein.

13.   Refund not permissible in certain cases: -

(1)    Refund of fees including special fees once remitted will not be granted to those students who have already paid the Tuition and other special fees for one particular course in an Arts & Science College or Sanskrit College and who joins another Professional or Technical College or Institution offering a different course of instruction and not coming under the Director of Collegiate Education or under the Scheme of Direct Payment.

(2)    The Principals of the Government Institutions are empowered to sanction refund of fees in all cases mentioned above.

(3)      In respect of the Private Arts and Science Colleges coming under the Direct Payment Scheme the respective Zonal Deputy Directors of Collegiate Education are empowered to sanction refund of fees in all cases mentioned above.

Explanation 1: - For the purpose of this Ordinance, Fees means “Tuition Fees” alone.

Explanation 2: - Subject to the provisions of Ordinance 12, a student shall be eligible for refund under this Ordinance also irrespective of the fact whether he/she discontinues the studies in the Colleges with or without the intention of prosecuting further studies in a different Institution whether it be for a Professional or non-Professional course.

14.   Procedure for reimbursement of fees in respect of Backward Communities:-

(1)    If any eligible Backward Community student had paid his fees at the time of joining the College and such fees had been remitted into the treasury, the amount of fees so paid will be got reimbursed by the Harijan Welfare Department.  The Principals of Government Colleges shall claim refunds in such cases and disburse the same to the students in so far as Government Colleges are concerned.  In the case of Private Colleges, refund of fees in respect of students belonging to the Backward Community shall be made in the manner specified in clause (2).

(2)    The Principals of the Private Arts and Science Colleges shall prepare a list containing the names of such students and details of fees remitted by them, with the date of collection.  He shall also furnish the details of remittance of the fees (included in Chalan numbers) with dates.  A Certificate that the fees in respect of the above students have been realised from the Harijan Welfare Department (giving details of adjustment) shall invariably be recorded, thereon.  The list will be got verified and the correctness of remittance duly certified by the Treasury Officer.  The Principal will then address the Zonal Deputy Directors for according sanction for the refund of fees to the students.  The Zonal Deputy Director of Collegiate Education will verify, issue sanction and also countersign the refund bills.  The Principals of Private Arts and Science colleges after getting the refund shall disburse the amount to the concerned students, after getting their proper acquittance.  Such detailed statements of disbursement shall be forwarded to the Zonal Deputy Directors within a week.  The Principals shall not keep the undisbursed amount for more than a week.