Bengaluru College Admission Season Brings Hefty Application Fee Burden
As the admission season commences in Bengaluru, applying to colleges and universities in the city is becoming an increasingly expensive endeavor for students and their families. With application forms in numerous institutions now hovering around Rs 1,000, students who need to apply to multiple colleges to secure a seat are witnessing costs rapidly accumulate, creating significant financial pressure.
Premium Application Fees at Leading Universities
One of the most expensive application forms comes from Christ deemed-to-be University, where fees reach Rs 1,800 for certain programmes. Once submitted online, these applications cannot be cancelled, and the fees are strictly non-refundable. University officials explain that these charges cover the substantial costs associated with conducting entrance tests and interviews.
Anil Pinto, registrar of Christ deemed-to-be University, elaborated: "We conduct online tests for many programmes across different parts of the country, utilizing third-party platforms. Additionally, our faculty travel to various cities for interviews, with the fees covering their travel and accommodation expenses. Programmes without online tests consequently have lower application fees."
Similar Patterns Across Institutions
Other prominent universities in Bengaluru follow comparable pricing structures. St Josephs' University charges Rs 1,000 for undergraduate programmes and Rs 1,200 for postgraduate and diploma programmes according to their website.
Fr Victor Lobo, vice-chancellor of SJU, explained: "For high-demand courses, we conduct entrance exams in cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Ranchi, and Ernakulam. The application fee directly covers these logistical expenses. We calculate final marks using 50% entrance exam scores and 50% II PU marks, as we've observed that students from some states excel in entrances despite lower class 12 marks, and vice versa. Therefore, entrance tests are crucial for selecting the best candidates, and programmes without them naturally have lower fees."
At Kristu Jayanti deemed-to-be university, Fr Augustine George, vice-chancellor, noted: "We implemented a marginal fee hike this admission cycle. The volume of applications we receive is enormous, requiring a dedicated team of approximately 35 people for scrutiny. The fees support all this backend administrative work." Their website lists online application forms for UG programmes at Rs 1,000.
Growing Financial Strain on Students and Families
The cumulative financial burden falls squarely on students and their parents. B Yogananda, president of the coordination committee of Karnataka Private School College Parents' Associations, highlighted the practical challenges: "A student typically needs to apply to at least three colleges or universities to ensure a good seat, which means spending around Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000. How can ordinary parents afford this? The government must intervene to streamline this process, making college applications affordable for students from all economic backgrounds."
Apoorva CM, president of the All India Democratic Students Organisation, Bengaluru District, added a critical perspective: "Many universities increase application fees annually. We perceive this as a blatant effort to further commercialize higher education. When students from rural and economically weaker sections are already grappling with rising semester and exam fees, these hikes act as a 'gatekeeping' tax that discourages underprivileged applicants. By transforming admission processes into revenue streams, universities are neglecting their fundamental responsibility to provide accessible, democratic education."
The rising application fees in Bengaluru's higher education sector underscore a broader tension between institutional operational costs and educational accessibility, sparking calls for systemic reforms to protect students' interests.
