Nowadays, education has turned into one of the most profitable businesses in India. There are tons of Indian colleges, charging big amounts to provide education in various fields. Since engineering is one of the most popular career choices among students, top engineering college in India charge high fees in exchange for providing quality education, top-notch amenities and good career opportunities. Despite the repeated rulings of the Supreme Court that education cannot be for profit, there is no law or act to regulate fees in a private institute. Some education controlling organizations like AICTE and UGC have laid down certain guidelines that recommend the maximum annual tuition and development fees an institute can charge for full-time programmes. But the engineering colleges have started using several inventive ways to get around the government-recommended fee structures. The main objective of many institutes has shifted from providing education to making a profit.
Although there are other reasons the top engineering colleges in India charge high fees. According to the AICTE and UGC guidelines, colleges may charge extra fees for the extra facilities they provide. Following are some of the additional college fees students may have to pay:
• Registration fee: Most engineering colleges charge a registration fee from the students applying for admission. The fee may involve application form, attending an orientation session or an introductory lecture. Registration charges can vary according to the college.
• Campus fee: Sometimes colleges charge campus fees to cover maintenance of infrastructure and access to the building. The best engineering colleges in India have world-class infrastructure that requires heavy funds for proper maintenance. Colleges aim to cover these costs through the campus fees they collect from the students.
• Graduation fee: Most of the colleges charge a graduation fee from the students. The best engineering colleges in India hold a grand graduation ceremony at the end of each academic year. Organizing an event at such a big scale is an expensive affair. Renting a venue, decorations, proper seating arrangements, hiring an event planner and other staff, printing invitation cards and providing graduation caps and gowns are just some of the things colleges have to take care of while hosting the event. A graduation fee is a means to cover the cost of this event.
• Lab fee: Lab classes are a major part of the curriculum of an engineering programme. Engineers cannot be considered qualified unless they undergo practical training during their education. All engineering colleges in India have well-equipped laboratories to provide the students with practical knowledge. A large sum of money is needed to maintain the labs and stocking them with required equipment, chemicals and machinery.
• Tech Fee: All the engineering colleges provide the basic facility of computer labs and wifi. Colleges charge the tech fees to cover the cost of repairing and maintaining the systems and providing uninterrupted internet connection.
• Transportation fee: Many colleges offer transportation services to the students. These colleges have buses that pick and drop local students. This facility is covered under the transportation fee.
• Extra-curricular fee: Some colleges provide students with facilities to participate in several extra-curricular like sports, dance and music. Many top engineering colleges in India have their own athletic teams. To facilitate these activities, the colleges charge some extra fees from the students.
• Security fee: All the colleges charge a specific amount as security in case a student damages college property. This fee is refundable in most cases.
