HC order triggered by government inaction on fee reimbursement transfers burden to students

The ‘interim measure’ of the Telangana High Court permitting private colleges to collect tuition fees directly from students covered under the State’s Reimbursement of Tuition Fee (RTF) scheme has triggered concern among students and parents, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds, for whom the scheme was a ‘lifeline to education’.

For years, the State government maintained that students belonging to SC, ST, Backward Classes, and minority communities should not be asked to pay tuition fees upfront, and that colleges must wait for reimbursement. However, that original position has now changed, thanks to the inordinate delay in release of dues by the government.

Several stakeholders have termed the judgement a historic move, especially the Federation of Association of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI), which has been bringing pressure on government in view of the dire situation of private colleges and the livelihood of over a lakh employees in the sector.

However, it has been faulted by student unions, Opposition party leaders and education advocates.

“The fee reimbursement scheme in Telangana, which enabled crores of underprivileged students to pursue higher education, appears to have been officially scrapped, likely forcing many poor students to return to herding buffaloes and sheep after Intermediate,” posted BRS leader and former secretary of Social Welfare Gurukuls R.S. Praveen Kumar on social media.

Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader S. Rajnikanth said the interim direction is unjust as it is detrimental to the education of poor students. “It is a severe blow to nearly 14 lakh students from SC, ST, BC, and minority communities. Private colleges will only subject these students to further harassment and distress. The High Court must reconsider its position,” he said, adding that the State government must immediately release the RTF dues to the colleges and resolve the issue.

While advocates and college managements, who have witnessed the four-year-long communication gaps and delays from the government over the RTF dues, see the interim measure as a pressure on the government, students at the receiving end remain confused.

“Firstly, my family must borrow the fee amount to pay, which is uncertain. Whether the government reimburses this fee to colleges and then to us, and how much, is another matter,” said A. Anusha, a final-year Nursing student from Mancherial studying in Ghatkesar.

This is the way to do it

For FATHI, while it acknowledges the imminent burden marginalised students would face, the HC verdict would mount pressure on the government.

“While the dues from the government are to the tune of ₹10,000 crore, the Congress government released ₹600 crore for Dasara and another ₹300 crore for Sankranthi. How will this run the higher education system?” one of its leaders remarked.

The HC verdict, however, is specific to a few private professional colleges that approached it: fees can be collected directly from students from the 2026–27 academic year onwards; such collected fees must be refunded to students if the writ petitions are dismissed in the final adjudication.

Meanwhile, FATHI has called on all its member institutions to file similar petitions before the High Court to push the government to release the dues. The federation also held consultations with several advocates to represent institutions at concessional fees.