Andhra Pradesh: Private Engineering colleges started forcing the parents to pay fees at a time

Tirupati: All the engineering colleges in the Andhra Pradesh state have started to force the Parents to pay the annual fees in the name of new academic year 2020-21.

Everyone knows that many of the parents lost their major income source due to covid-19 pandemic lockdown during the last three months and some of them were sacked from their jobs by their management, few are getting only nominal salaries. This bad situation led to an impossible situation to bear additional financial burden in the name of college fees.

There are a total 333 private colleges and 10 government engineering colleges in the state. As per the AP higher education department guidelines all the private and government colleges have informed their students that for second, third and fourth year students classes will commence from August 17 through online. At the same time they informed the parents to pay an annual fee online. Those private colleges' accounts department staff are calling students and parents asking them to pay full fees on or before the next 10 days.

It is creating concern among the students as well as in parents, because 70 % of the parents belong to middle and low middle class income groups. Now they are struggling to meet regular family expenditure. Now they are worried how to pay the huge amounts of fees at a time.

For example a third year student S Srinivas is pursuing third year B Tech in a private college, Tirupati. Just four days ago his college accounts department personnel called over the phone and informed him to pay Rs 100,000 annual fee through online banking on or before August 17 and send the pay receipt details to the concerned class teacher to attend online classes from home.

In this regard AP higher education council did not take any relief measures till date in view of parents financial burdens. Whereas parents are demanding the government to provide an opportunity for paying fees at least in three installments and decrease the fee to some extent.

Over this issue speaking to The Hans India, SFI Chittoor District Secretary N Madav Krishan demanded the government to reduce the students fees in private engineering colleges and mentioned that in the present situation most of the students are unable to pay fees immediately due to the present covid-19 crisis.