Maharashtra’s State Common Entrance Test Cell has warned colleges that they will face legal action if they charge students more than the fees approved by the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA), according to a circular issued during the final phase of professional-course admissions for the 2026-27 academic year.
The CET Cell said colleges cannot demand additional amounts beyond the FRA-approved fee or insist on cash payments. Admissions made through institutions found to be collecting unauthorised fees may also be cancelled, the report said.
The directive followed a complaint submitted to the CET Cell by Kalpesh Yadav, joint secretary of the Yuva Sena, alleging that colleges were charging students excessive fees. CET Cell Commissioner Dilip Sardesai subsequently issued the circular setting out instructions for educational institutions on fee collection.
The warning comes as the centralised admission process for professional courses in Maharashtra enters its final stage. Admissions against vacant seats and seats under the management quota are currently under way, a period during which students and parents may be required to make payment decisions directly with colleges.
Under the instructions cited in the report, institutions must collect only the exact fee approved for them by the FRA. Colleges are also required to display the official FRA fee order on their notice boards and publish it on their websites. The requirement is intended to make the approved fee structure available to students and parents before payment is made.
The CET Cell has stated that institutions found charging fees outside the approved structure will face strict legal action. It has also warned that admissions made in violation of the fee rules will be cancelled. The report does not specify the individual colleges allegedly involved, the amounts said to have been collected, or the penalties that would apply in each case.
The fee regulator’s approved amount is expected to cover the authorised charge for the relevant course and institution. Any demand over that amount, including a request for payment in cash, has been described in the directive as illegal. The CET Cell’s warning applies while the current admission process, including vacant-seat and management-quota admissions, continues.
Students and parents who receive demands for unauthorised fees have been advised to submit complaints to the CET Cell and the Fee Regulating Authority. The authorities’ stated next steps are to examine such complaints and take action against institutions found to have breached the fee-collection rules.
