FRA sets max limits for fees following surge in parents’ complaints
The Fee Regulatory Authority in Mumbai has issued a notice setting maximum fee limits for private medical and dental colleges in the state, following complaints from parents. Private medical institutes are now prohibited from charging fees exceeding three times the approved fees under management quotas, and up to five times under NRI quotas. Violation of these regulations will result in penal action. The notice also includes regulations for postgraduate course fees and mandates the display of approved fees on notice boards and websites.
Mumbai: In response to a growing number of grievances from parents, the Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) has issued a notice about the maximum fee limits for private medical and dental colleges across the state. This includes fees for management, institutional, and NRI quota admissions. In an official notice issued by FRA, institutions have been sternly warned about potential repercussions if complaints persist.
According to the new guidelines, under management and NRI quotas, private medical institutes are prohibited from charging fees exceeding three times the approved fees by FRA through the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) and a maximum of up to five times respectively.
FRA has emphasised that any violation of these regulations will be considered a breach of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulations of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, subjecting the institution to penal action as outlined in section 20 of the Act.
This ruling applies to undergraduate medical courses, including MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, B.PTH, Occupational Therapy, and BUMS. The notice also revisits regulations for postgraduate course fees under management and NRI quotas.
Institutes and colleges are also mandated to display course-wise fees approved by the FRA on notice boards and websites in both Marathi and English. Linguistic minority institutions must also display fees in the language of the respective minority. Failure to comply with these regulations will result in penal consequences.
Sudha Shenoy, a representative for parents, expressed cautious optimism about the FRA’s notice. She said, “We are welcoming the reduction in maximum fees for undergraduate management quotas but expressed concerns about the lack of clarity on other fees, such as development fees and caution money.” Shenoy also emphasised the need for a standardised list of required documents for NRI quota admissions to avoid confusion during the admission process.
As per the notice, in case of any fee-related disputes, students or parents are urged to file complaints with the FRA through written submissions, the Grievance Portal (www.mahafra.org), or via email at fra.govmh@gmail.com.