UGC asks governors to intervene as 82 Tamil Nadu colleges hold back fee refunds
By TUF News Desk · Published 19 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Some students have waited five years to get their own money back.
The University Grants Commission now says 150 complaints about unrefunded fees are pending against 82 higher education institutions in Tamil Nadu. The amounts range from Rs 2,535 to Rs 4 lakh. With the institutions ignoring its directions, the regulator has asked governors’ offices across states and union territories to step in.
In a demi-official letter dated October 7, UGC Secretary Prof. Shyama Rath sought the intervention of the principal secretaries to governors after the commission’s own efforts failed. The letter was published on the UGC’s official website on October 16, and copies went to the higher education secretaries of states and union territories.
Reminders did not work
The details of the communication, reported by The Times of India, cover admissions cancelled or withdrawn between the academic years 2021-22 and 2025-26.
Rath wrote that the commission had forwarded student complaints to the institutions, held consultations with them, and followed up in writing and on the phone. Several universities and affiliated colleges kept disregarding the directions anyway. UNI, which reported the letter on Monday, quoted Rath as saying the repeated written and telephonic follow-ups had not achieved compliance, leaving students who had cancelled within the stipulated period facing hardship.
The UGC warned that prolonged delays and refusals to return fees affect students’ rights and the credibility of the higher education system. The governors’ offices have been asked to ensure compliance with the existing fee-refund framework and to caution institutions against further violations.
This is not a new problem. An earlier Economic Times report, citing TOI data, said the commission’s Fee Nivaran Cell had resolved about 4,200 fee complaints with refunds of over Rs 25 crore, and that private universities accounted for the largest share of cases. The Tamil Nadu figure adds a fresh state-level count to that national picture.
What the rules say
The commission’s framework requires institutions to refund fees when students cancel or withdraw admission within the stipulated window, and its student grievance regulations treat a delay in such a refund as a defined grievance. Non-compliance can attract punitive action under the relevant regulations. The same rules protect students taking admission this cycle, not just the complainants behind the current letter.
For students, the lesson is boring but important: keep every receipt, read the refund terms in the prospectus before you pay, and document every conversation with the admissions office. Our admission documents checklist runs through the paperwork worth holding on to. Choosing an institution carefully matters too; our guide to choosing a university in India explains how to verify a college’s credentials before committing money.
Why governors are being roped in
In most states, the governor is the chancellor of state universities. That makes the governors’ offices one of the few channels with direct leverage over institutions that have been ignoring letters and phone calls. Approaching them is the regulator’s way of saying the usual tools have stopped working.
A withheld fee of up to Rs 4 lakh can be a family’s savings for a year. For the students behind these 150 complaints, the money has been stuck for as long as five years, and it is theirs by the rules.
Frequently asked questions
Which institutions are involved?
The reported details name 82 higher education institutions in Tamil Nadu without naming them individually. The complaints span admissions cancelled between the academic years 2021-22 and 2025-26.
How much money is involved?
Between Rs 2,535 and Rs 4 lakh per complaint, according to the UGC communication.
What did the UGC’s October 7 letter ask for?
It asked governors’ offices to intervene, make institutions comply with the fee-refund framework, and caution them against further violations. Copies went to the higher education secretaries of states and union territories.
What should a student waiting for a refund do?
Keep receipts and the admission prospectus, and raise the issue through the UGC’s student grievance channels. A delay in a due refund counts as a defined grievance under the commission’s regulations.
Frequently asked questions
Which institutions are involved?
The reported details name 82 higher education institutions in Tamil Nadu without naming them individually. The complaints span admissions cancelled between the academic years 2021-22 and 2025-26.
How much money is involved?
Between Rs 2,535 and Rs 4 lakh per complaint, according to the UGC communication reported in the press.
What did the UGC's October 7 letter ask for?
It asked governors' offices to intervene, make institutions comply with the fee-refund framework, and caution them against further violations. Copies also went to the higher education secretaries of states and union territories.
What should a student waiting for a refund do?
Keep receipts and the admission prospectus, and raise the issue through the UGC's student grievance channels. A delay in a due refund counts as a defined grievance under the commission's regulations.
Sources: Education Post, UNI, The Times of India