PESHAWAR, Sept 22: In violation of the Higher Education Commission policy, Islamia College Peshawar (Chartered University) is denying full tuition fee refund to its students wanting to move to other educational institutions, it is learnt.
These students, who were given admission to the four-year BS (Bachelor of Studies) degree programme on September 3, told Dawn on Saturday that they had taken up the matter with the ICU account section time and again, but to no avail.
HEC has developed a ‘Fee Refund Policy’ for the countrywide higher educational institutions in light of the Islamabad High Court directives.
It is learnt that the ICU administration received a copy of the said policy on Sept 17 before forwarding its copies to all relevant sections, including the account section, the same day for implementation.
According to the policy, a copy of which is secured by Dawn, full tuition fee will be refunded to the students seeking departure before seven days of the start of classes, while half fee will be refunded between 8th and 15th day of the start of classes. However, fee will not be refunded after 15 days of the start of classes.
The disgruntled students said their classes began on Monday (Sept 17) but its account section refunded half (Rs10,500) of the full tuition fee (Rs21,000) to them in violation of HEC policy.
When contacted, ICU director finance Dr Qadir Buksh Baloch said he directed the account section on Sept 18 to refund tuition fee in line with the HEC criteria to the students seeking departure.
He, however, said he would look into the matter.
Dr Baloch said according to the HEC policy, ICU would refund tuition fee, not admission fee.
“We have to refund the tuition fee, which is Rs16,000,” he said.
However, students complained that until late working hours on September 20, the ICU account section gave them only Rs10,500 refund instead of full refund of Rs16000.
They said around 50 students applied for the cancellation of their admission from September 17 to 20 but all of them had been given half fee refund.
A student, who lives in Peshawar, told Dawn that he applied for his admission’s cancellation and fee refund on Sept 19 with the admission performance attendance and record office (APARO).
He said he claimed full refund of tuition fee in light of HEC policy but the account section expressed unawareness about any such policy and insisted that only half fee would be refunded to him like other students.
The student said when he showed a copy of the said HEDC policy to the relevant officials, they said HEC had mentioned only tuition fee, not admission fee.
He said when asked about the tuition fee part of the total admission fee of Rs21,000, the officials had no answer.
The student said the next day, he contacted Dr Baloch, who asked the account section to refund him fee as suggested by HEC, but to no avail.
He demanded action against officials flouting HEC refund policy.