Deadline missed, private schools in Ahmedabad await clarity on fee-hike applications submitted after deadline, ETEducation
Ahmedabad: Private schools seeking to raise their fees for the next three academic years have failed to meet the Nov 30 deadline to submit their proposals to the fee regulatory committee (FRC), creating administrative uncertainity.
The FRC has not yet made a decision on whether these late submissions will be accepted and, if so, whether they will be subject to a monetary penalty. The committee’s verdict on accepting delayed applications is awaited.
As per the committee’s guidelines, a new fee structure is being formulated for the academic years 2026–27, 2027–28, and 2028–29. Schools that seek an increase beyond the permitted 30% must file a formal proposal with justification. According to estimates, nearly 90% of private schools prefer to remain within the approved slab and therefore only need to submit the affidavit. The remaining schools, wishing to raise fees above the slab, were instructed to file proposals by Nov 30.
Based on complaints about the inconvenience of filing affidavits every year, the process was shifted online. As of now, 105 schools — 75 from Ahmedabad rural and 30 from Ahmedabad city— have applied for higher fee approvals. Their submissions will soon be forwarded to the committee for scrutiny. After document verification, the FRC will issue the provisional fee structure, following which schools may raise objections if necessary.
Meanwhile, uncertainty continues over whether late applications will be accepted this year; last year, some proposals were approved with penalties, but no decision has been taken for the current cycle.
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