Hyderabad: The demand for engineering and other professional courses is expected to decline from the coming academic year, driven by a challenging job market and changes in the fee reimbursement policy. Students are increasingly opting for three-year degree programmes instead.
Until the previous academic year, students from economically weaker sections could enroll in engineering courses without upfront payment, as the government covered their fees. Under the new system, however, students must pay fees first and seek reimbursement later.
B Anjali, a student who scored 991 out of 1,000 in her Intermediate second-year exams and is preparing for JEE and EAPCET, expressed her distress: "There is no way my family can afford to send me to top colleges now. As an ST student, I am eligible for full reimbursement, but if I have to pay upfront, I will have to compromise either on the course or the college." Her mother, a farm labourer earning between Rs 200 and Rs 400 a day, cannot arrange the required fee. Anjali suggested that the government could convince colleges to admit students without demanding upfront fees.
The minimum tuition fee in engineering colleges is Rs 45,000 per year, with over 40 colleges charging more than Rs 1 lakh annually. In contrast, degree college fees start at around Rs 15,000.
Degree college managements anticipate a shift toward three-year courses. Y Ramakrishna, secretary of the Telangana Degree College Managements Association, said: "It is a fact that even degree courses are eligible for reimbursement. However, the average fee here is about Rs 15,000, which most families can afford. As a result, students and parents are likely to prefer courses such as BSc, BCom, and BBA."
Educationists and student leaders have expressed concern that transferring fees directly to students without a clear timeline may be an indirect way for the government to withdraw from its responsibility. K Laxminarayana, organising secretary of the Telangana Save Education Committee and a professor at the University of Hyderabad, said: "This seems like an attempt to gradually phase out the fee reimbursement scheme. Only students with financial means will be able to pursue professional courses or study in top colleges. Indirectly, the government is denying poor students access to quality education."
He added that the lack of clarity on reimbursement timelines makes it difficult for students to secure loans. "Even if they manage to pay the first year's fees, what happens if reimbursements are delayed for years, as is currently the case with managements? Students may have no option but to drop out," he warned.
Faculty members from engineering colleges also noted that engineering, particularly computer science and related fields, is losing its appeal due to layoffs in the IT sector and disruptions caused by artificial intelligence.
