HYDERABAD: Thousands of engineering and pharmacy students in Telangana are facing uncertainty over fee reimbursement, with around Rs 10,000 crore in dues from previous academic years yet to be cleared. The Telangana High Court had directed the government to clear pending reimbursement amounts for previous and ongoing batches by July 31. However, with the deadline having passed, students and colleges are still awaiting a clear payment schedule.
The delay has raised concerns among students who have completed their courses or are in their final semester. Several students alleged that private colleges were withholding essential certificates, including transfer and bonafide certificates, over outstanding fees. Without these documents, students are finding it difficult to pursue higher education, apply for jobs or complete admission formalities elsewhere.
The Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Education Institutions (FATHI) said the government had indicated that eligible students would be considered for reimbursement for the 2026-27 academic year. However, the federation said there was no clear assurance on when arrears from previous batches would be cleared, leaving both students and institutions in uncertainty.
The issue is particularly acute for students completing four-year BTech programmes. Students said that even if reimbursement for the final year is processed, they could continue to carry unpaid dues from the first three years. In some cases, the outstanding amount from earlier years could be around `1.05 lakh per student.
A final-year engineering student, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “I am in the final stage of my course and have only a few examinations left. But the college is refusing to issue our transfer and bonafide certificates unless I clear the pending fee. We do not have the money to pay lakhs of rupees. The government should immediately release the reimbursement amount so that students can complete their education without facing further hardship.”
Another final-year BTech student said, “We were assured that the fee reimbursement would be released, but the amount is still pending. Colleges are asking students to submit affidavits and undertakings and are demanding payment before issuing certificates. Students from poor families are under enormous pressure.”
Students asked to pay Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh
Student organisations said final-year students pursuing engineering, pharmacy, degree, law and other professional courses were being asked by some institutions to submit affidavits and undertakings and, in certain cases, pay the entire outstanding amount before their certificates were released.
Students have reportedly been asked to arrange Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, with assurances that the money would be returned once the government releases the reimbursement.
Some student organisations have appealed to engineering and pharmacy colleges, particularly private institutions, to release certificates of students who have completed their courses. They suggested that colleges could obtain undertakings or security from parents instead of withholding certificates until the reimbursement issue is resolved. The problem is reportedly more acute at some prominent private engineering and pharmacy institutions in Hyderabad, where students seeking their certificates are being asked to clear outstanding fees.
FATHI members said fee reimbursement requirements ran into thousands of crores, with substantial arrears having accumulated over several years.
Though the government has announced a monthly allocation towards clearing reimbursement dues, the association said there was no clear assurance on when the accumulated arrears of previous batches would be cleared.
The issue also has a legal dimension. The government has reportedly given an assurance before the Telangana High Court on processing fee reimbursement applications for the 2026-27 academic year, including timelines for renewals and fresh applications. FATHI said the government should honour these commitments while also addressing the backlog affecting students from earlier batches.
The association is planning to approach Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and other senior ministers again, seeking immediate intervention.
BJP state chief announces hunger strike
Hyderabad: Accusing the Congress government of ignoring its promises to the youth, BJP state unit president N Ramchander Rao has announced a two-day hunger strike over pending fee reimbursement dues. Despite police denying permission for the protest, Ramchander said he would go ahead with the hunger strike.
If he was not allowed to hold it on the road, he said, the protest would be held at the BJP state headquarters. Addressing the media in New Delhi, he said fee reimbursement dues had accumulated to `12,000 crore, comprising `8,000 crore pending from the previous BRS regime and another `4,000 crore added under the present Congress government.
The BJP leader alleged that colleges were unable to pay salaries of lecturers and were retaining original certificates of students because of the delays. Ramchander said the government had agreed to release Rs 2,000 crore in advance for the next academic year only after the Telangana High Court intervened, but the promised payment had not materialised.
The senior BJP leader accused the Congress of ignoring commitments made to students in its ‘Youth Declaration’ ahead of the Assembly elections and said the education sector was “in shambles”. He also alleged that the government was ignoring the problems faced by polytechnic and AYUSH students. Ramchander challenged senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to visit Hyderabad and answer questions raised by students. He appealed to students to participate in the proposed protest in large numbers.