Maharashtra CET Cell has warned professional colleges against charging students more than the fees approved by the Fee Regulating Authority, or FRA, during the 2026-27 admission process. Institutions found collecting unauthorised fees may face legal action, while admissions made through rule-breaking fee practices could also be cancelled.
Pune | September 10, 2026 — The warning was issued by the State Common Entrance Test Cell as the centralised admission process for professional courses enters its final stage. The process currently includes admissions against vacant seats and seats under the management quota.
According to the CET Cell’s circular, colleges must collect only the fees approved by the FRA. Demanding additional amounts beyond the approved fee, including payments in cash, has been described as illegal. The instructions follow complaints that some educational institutions were allegedly charging students excessive or unauthorised amounts during admissions.
The complaint was submitted to the CET Cell by Kalpesh Yadav, joint secretary of the Yuva Sena. After taking note of the issue, CET Cell Commissioner Dilip Sardesai issued the circular setting out the instructions for educational institutions.
The CET Cell has also directed colleges to publicly display the official FRA fee order applicable to them. The approved fee must be placed on the institution’s notice board and published on its website, allowing students and parents to verify the amount payable during the admission process.
The warning applies as colleges continue processing admissions for the 2026-27 academic year, including applications for vacant and management-quota seats. The CET Cell said that institutions found charging fees outside the approved framework would face strict legal action. It also warned that admissions made in violation of the fee rules could be cancelled.
The fee directive places responsibility on colleges to make their approved charges visible before completing admissions. For students and parents, the instructions provide a basis to compare the amount demanded by an institution with the FRA-approved fee order and to report discrepancies.
The CET Cell said students and parents can submit complaints about fee collection to the CET Cell and the Fee Regulating Authority. The circular’s instructions remain applicable during the ongoing admission process for professional courses in Maharashtra.
