The Karnataka government has decided to allow private colleges to increase the fee for Engineering and Architecture courses by 10% for 2024-25.
The decision was taken in a fee fixation meeting held on Friday, chaired by M.C. Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education, and Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, with representatives of private professional college managements, including the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges’ Association (KUPECA). They had, however, demanded a 15% increase. After a long discussion, a consensus was finally reached to increase the fee by 10%.
The previous BJP government had given permission to hike the fee by 10% for the academic year of 2023-24. But, after the Congress came to power in 2023, it had allowed an increase of only 7%.
With the 7% hike, along with university registration and other processing fees, the fee per annum stood at ₹96,574 for CET seats at private colleges type-1, and ₹1,04,265 at type-2 colleges. The fee in COMED-K type-1 colleges was ₹1,73,936, and ₹2,44,372 in type-2 colleges.
Without university registration and other processing fees, the fee was ₹69,214 for CET seats in type-1 private colleges, and ₹76,905 in type-2 colleges. In COMED-K type-1 college the fee was ₹1,69,192, and ₹2,37,706 for type-2 colleges.
With the 10% hike, the fee for 2024-25 will be ₹76,135 for CET seats in type-1 private colleges and ₹84,595 for type-2 colleges. In COMED-K type-1 college the fee will be ₹1,86,111 and ₹2,61,476 in type-2 colleges. Registration and other processing fees will be charged above this.
Speaking to The Hindu, Srikar M.S., Principal Secretary of Higher Education Department, said: “The department will soon officially issue an order about the total fee, including university registration and other processing fees.”
