Private junior colleges in Hyderabad, especially those offering Science and Math streams, have significantly increased their fees this year, ranging from 30% to 40%. This has caused concern among parents who are now urging the state government and Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) to implement fee regulations in these institutions.
Compared to last year, parents are now required to pay almost double the amount for their children’s education. For example, a day-scholar corporate college is charging Rs 2.25 lakh per year, up from Rs 1.25 lakh the previous year. Residential corporate colleges are now charging around Rs 3 lakh per year, compared to Rs 2.5 lakh last year. Even regular private colleges have raised their fees from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. In addition, parents have noted that transportation and textbook costs are separate from these fees.
Many parents are frustrated with the lack of action from the state government in forming a committee for regulating educational institutions. They believe that a committee could help prevent such steep fee increases. One father, Ramesh, expressed his disbelief at a junior college charging Rs 1.5 lakh per year despite lacking basic facilities, a Rs 70,000 increase from the previous year.
R Sravanthi, another parent, highlighted the financial strain that these fee hikes put on families. She questioned the need for private colleges to raise fees every year, especially when some colleges increase fees by as much as 50% in the second year of enrollment. Satish G, president of the Telangana Private Junior Colleges Managements Association, acknowledged the fee increases in corporate junior colleges and called for fixed fees based on location and coaching for competitive exams.
A senior official from TSBIE confirmed that the Board has requested government intervention on fee regulation but is still awaiting a response. It remains to be seen how the state government will address the concerns raised by parents and educational institutions regarding these fee hikes.
