UGC Refund Policy 2024-25

Every year, thousands of students from India take admission in their dream colleges and universities to make their future bright. But sometimes, their plan changes. It may be waiting for a better opportunity, or withdrawing from the existing college due to some personal emergency. In this, the big concern for the parents and the students is getting the fee refund from the colleges or institutions. To address this issue, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced the UGC Refund Policy 2024-25. This policy basically ensures that those students who are withdrawing from the colleges should get a fair amount of their admission fee within a specific period of time. This policy aims to protect the students’ financial interests, bring transparency to the refund procedure across all higher educational institutions & prevent the colleges from exploiting or delaying the refunds. So, in this article, let’s learn more about the UGC Refund Policy 2024-25, its working, fundamental rules, and much more.

What is the UGC Refund Policy 2024-25?

While taking admission in the colleges, suddenly your mind changes, and you want to withdraw from your existing college. It may be due to some personal emergency that cannot be avoided, or waiting for a better opportunity to come. In this process, students and parents often get confused about whether they will get their admission fee refund or not. So, to bring clarity and fairness in this process, UGC has introduced a UGC Refund Policy 2024-25. Under this policy, students can get their exact amount of the admission fee within a specific period of time, without any hassle. 

Under this policy, students are entitled to a full return of their fees if they withdraw from he college within a specific period with a small deduction of Rs 1,000 as their processing fees. This policy applies to all the UGC-recognized higher universities, which aim to protect the students from financial loss. It ensures that all the colleges follow a uniform and accountable refund system. 

Why was this policy introduced?

Over the years, many students have raised the question about colleges and institutions not refunding the admission fees when the admission of the student is either canceled or changed. So, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has responded by introducing its special refund policy that Higher Educational Institutions must follow. The main goal of introducing this policy is as follows: 

• To make the refund procedure fair and transparent.
• To protect the students from losing their money unfairly. 
• To make sure that all the universities or institutions are refunding the money on time. 
• To make all grievance redressal possible under the existing UGC Regulations. 

Who all are covered under the UGC Refund Policy 2024-25?

The UGC Refund Policy 2024-25 applies to all the Higher Educational Institutions that are: 

• Established under the Central or the state acts.
• All the institutions that are recognized by the UGC under section 2(f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. 
• All the deemed universities that are under Section 3 of that act. 
• All the institutions that are affiliated with the higher universities. 
• All the organizations or educational bodies that conduct the admissions and collect the fees on behalf of HEIs.   

Also, if any grievance arises, then there are provisions under the UGC’s Redressal of Grievances of Students Regulations, 2023 that work alongside this refund policy.  

What are the fundamental rules of the UGC Refund Policy 2024-25?

Here are the main points you need to be aware of under the UGC Refund Policy 2024-25: 

Complete refund available until 30 September 2024

If you withdraw your admission (or transfer) at any time before 30 September 2024, you may receive a full refund of your fees. 

Processing-procedure fees apply until 31 October 2024

If you were to have processed the refund/transaction by 31 October 2024, you would have to deduct no greater than ₹ 1,000 as a processing fee. Which means, you would still receive almost a full refund, after deducting the small fee.

Admissions that happen after this date

Each admission will necessarily have to be held beyond the date of 31 October, and will be initiated after the date of 31 October. In such a case, just like you have been told earlier, the UGC will redirect you to a prior guideline. You may wish to refer to the UGC notification regarding Refund of Fees and Non-Retention of Original Certificates made in October 2018. 

Refund rates based on timing

Under the uninterrupted notification of October 2018, even when it becomes applicable, you can receive a refund depending on when you withdraw/cancel / to the “last date of admission.” The slabs are approximately:

Time of Withdrawal/Cancel	Refund % of Fee	Notes
15 days or more before the formally notified last date of admission	100%	A full refund will be given.
Less than 15 days before the last date	90%	There is a small deduction
15 days or less after the last date	80%	Some deduction in your admission fee may occur
More than 15 days but within 30 days after the last date	50%	There can be a bigger deduction.
More than 30 days after the last date	0%	No refund will be initiated.

Sanctions for non-compliance 

The UGC has made it very clear to HEIs that there will be penalties for delays or refusals to refund students above and beyond what is permitted under the UGC Refund Policy 2024-25.

Read Also: American Eagle Return Policy / Amazon Refund Policy

How does this policy work?

To clarify how this policy will be put into practice, the following scenario may help.

1. You are admitted to a college, and you paid fees.

2. At some point after that, you decide to withdraw your application (or you decide to transfer to another institution).

3. You may also check the date you applied to withdraw:

• If you apply to withdraw before or on 30 September, you will receive a 100% refund (or full refund) of your fees.

• If you apply on or before 31 October, you may receive a refund, but the college is allowed to charge a processing fee of up to ₹1,000.

• If your admission schedule is after October (for example, if your admission deadline is in November or December), or if you withdraw after the fact, then the previous slabs will apply (October 2018) (100%, 90%, 80%, 50%, 0%) depending on your response to only how many days in advance the deadline is when you withdraw.

4. You will then file a refund request with your institution according to their procedure (application, proof, etc.).

5. In case of delay or an incorrect refusal, you can seek redress through UGC’s grievance mechanism (e.g., UGC e-Samadhan, or under one of the other complaint channels under the Regulations, 2023, Redressal of Grievances of Students).

6. You should also make sure your institution posts these refund rules on their website/prospectus, and then what the deadline is in their admission schedule, with reference to our admission schedule.

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Things to keep in mind while applying for the policy

While the policy is clear, there are some practical caveats to note: 

• Admission schedule matters: Not all institutions have the same “final date of admission”. If your institution has an admissions deadline after October, then older rules may apply.

• Processing fee: Even if you are getting a refund up to 31 October with a processing charge of up to ₹ 1,000, always check with your college as to how they apply and to ask for proof. 

• Deadlines & hours: When you see deadlines, sometimes they are specific up to a time (e.g., end of business day). Missing the deadline can reduce your refund. 

• Institution category: Even though the policy speaks of HEIs in line with the UGC, some autonomous or special institutions (central institutes, IITs, or other bodies) will have specific policies. It is a good idea to check if your institution follows the UGC policy in your case. 

• Grievance redress effectiveness: Having the policy is a great thing, but understand you may need to follow up with the UGC channels if your institution does not give you a refund. 

• Transparency: Your college should refer to the refund rules in its admission brochure or website. If you don’t see it, your college should send you a copy of the Refund Policy 2024-25 as per UGC.

Read Also: Dicks Sporting Goods Return Policy / Steam Refund Policy 

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