The Gujarat Fee Regulatory Committee has ordered self-financed technical colleges to submit stamped affidavits detailing their approved and separately collected fees by November 13, 2026, warning that institutions which fail to comply could face criminal proceedings.
The directive follows complaints from students and parents after the state’s recently completed admission process. According to the report, the committee found that several technical colleges were allegedly collecting amounts beyond the fee structure approved under Section 10(1) of the relevant law, including charges imposed under separate heads.
The committee has stated that collecting fees over and above the approved structure is illegal under Sections 10(4) and 13(2) and amounts to a violation of its fee order. The latest circular has been issued to all concerned institutions as part of an effort to identify the full range of charges being collected from students.
Each institution must submit a separate affidavit for every academic programme. The document must mention the relevant FRC-T code and be submitted on a Rs 300 stamp paper, signed by the dean, director or principal. Colleges have been instructed to provide details of tuition fees as well as library, laboratory, computer, caution money and any other fee or sub-head collected from students.
The disclosure will apply to the approved fee structure for the academic year 2026-27. Institutions must state their actual fee collection and provide details of amounts collected under different heads. The committee has warned that if information submitted in an affidavit is found to be false or misleading, the responsible head of the institution could face action under the applicable law and criminal provisions.
The order places the responsibility for fee transparency directly on institutional leadership rather than limiting scrutiny to the headline tuition fee. Charges such as laboratory, computer, library and caution money can materially increase the amount paid by families, particularly when they are collected separately from the fee approved by the regulator.
Students and parents will also be able to approach the committee directly if a college or institution collects excess or illegal fees. Complaints must be accompanied by reliable evidence of the collection, after which the committee can initiate action against the concerned institution. The committee has said that steps will be taken to ensure that students do not suffer during the process.
The immediate compliance deadline for institutions is November 13, 2026. The committee’s next step will depend on the affidavits submitted by individual programmes and any complaints or evidence received from students and parents.
