According to the revised AICTE instructions, a candidate can apply to the institute for seat cancellation and can claim full Fee refund by the last date and the institute is liable to refund the fee in full within 7 days from the date of submission of the Application at the college.
Not Applicable for B-Schools with Admission Closed
These guidelines do not apply to the B-schools who have already closed their admission process but with a rider. According to AICTE, “This schedule is not applicable for the institutions who have already completed the admission process and started the classes as per the earlier schedule” and adds further, “However, if such Institutes admit new students against vacancies, then the new schedule of cancellation and fee refund shall be applicable.”
AICTE Notification: Key Dates for Fee Refund 2022-24 batch
AICTE has become more strict on the Fee Refund Norms and has advised the institutes to adhere to the AICTE schedule for Fee refund. The key dates for Fee Refund are as under:
| Component related to Fee Refund | Key Dates as per AICTE Norms |
| Application Submission Last date for cancellation of PGDM/PGCM 2022-24 seat with full fee refund subject to deduction of Rs.1000/- only | September 13, 2022 |
| Last Date to Get the Fee Refund from the Institute | 7 Days from the Submission of Application |
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the controller of MBA/PGDM and technical education in India and works under the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. AICTE has recently changed and revised its fee refund policy on receiving the complaints that many MBA/PGDM colleges are creating problems in refunding the fee to the students as per laid down norms, if they do not take admission in the college and claim the fee refund.
AICTE Fee Refund Policy: What does it clarify?
The AICTE fee refund policy for MBA or other professional course lets you know how much amount of your deposited fee must be refunded by the MBA/PGDM college at different stages after deducting their charges as per AICTE norms for refund of fee 2021.
Who can Claim Fee Refund?
Fee refund is sought by the candidates who have already made the fee payment for admission to MBA and now wish to submit their admission fee refund application as they do not want to study or because they have got a better MBA college.
B-school to refund fee in all situations: AICTE’s Strict Instructions
AICTE fee refund policy allows your MBA fee refund in either of the two situations:
- You may withdraw from the MBA-PGDM B-school in which you do not want to study, or
- You may be switching to another B-school from the present B-school
B-School can’t say ‘No’ to Your Fee Refund Claim
The B-school might hesitate in your MBA fee refund and may misguide you but in your own interest you should refer to the AICTE fee refund policy and should immediately claim the fee refund for your admission fee which you have already paid with the B-school.
No Issue in Fee Refund at Top Tier B-schools
Although the top tier MBA colleges try to follow strictly the MBA fee refund norms, the 2nd tier or 3rd tier B-schools purposely delay the fee refund as they feel that their MBA programme may not get full intake and try to pressurize the candidate not to push for fee refund
AICTE Fee Refund Rules: Fee Components that are refunded
In the Chapter IV of Approval Process Handbook , All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has incorporated all the clauses governing fee refund rules.
- The reference for fee refund is made to AICTE Guidelines No. – AICTE / Legal / 04(01) / 2007, April 2007)
- Tuition fee, Development fee and other fee, charged by the institute will constitute the amount of total fee for refund after cancellation of admission secured through Common/Centralized Admission Process rounds, institute level round(s) and vacancy round(s) of admission
- The candidate, who has been provisionally admitted, may cancel admission by submitting an application for cancellation in duplicate, in the prescribed format as advised by the institute or available on its site and may request for refund of fee.
- The refund of fee as applicable shall be made within the time prescribed/due course by the institute.
- Refund can be applied by the candidates who have confirmed their admission by paying the prescribed tuition fee and other fees in full as demanded by the institute and by submitting the original documents, as desired by the institute.
Last Date to Apply for Fee Refund: September 13, 2022
AICTE further tightened its fee refund rules for the MBA/PGDM B-schools for refund of fee. Clause 6.13 of Chapter 6 of AICTE Approval Process Handbook 2022-23 is amended. AICTE fee refund policy now strictly directs the MBA/PGDM colleges as under:
- In case of applications submitted by admitted students for withdrawal and refund of fee, MBA/ PGDM Institutions shall allow it. The last date to submit application was September 13, 2022. In case the date is extended further, it will be announced in time.
- Fee refund along with the return of Certificates should be completed within 7 days
Stage wise Fee Refund amount approved by AICTE
According to the AICTE fee refund rules and rules of different B schools, refund should be made after deduction of only the cancellation/processing charges depending upon the time factor when the request is made
| Situation of admission withdrawal | Refund amount |
| When the request is made before the date of start of the academic session and the institute could fill the seat before the cutoff date from the waitlisted candidates. | Entire fee should be refunded including full amount of security deposit, caution money if the request is made before start of academic session. A deduction of Rs.1000/- towards processing charges will be made by the B-school. |
| When the request is received on/after the beginning of academic session and the institute could fill the seat before the cutoff date from the waitlisted candidates. | Entire fee less the Seat Cancellation Charges on pro rata basis. For calculation of pro-rata basis, 1 month shall be treated as 1 unit. For example if the candidate withdraws within a month after the start of academic session and the seat is filled before the cutoff date, the cancellation charges on pro rata basis will be the amount of total fee/12 or Rs.1000/-, whichever is higher. |
| When the request is received before/after the start of the academic session and the institute could not fill the seat | No Refund except security deposit shall be made |
| Settlement of dispute | Usually the court jurisdiction of the area where the B school is situated is to be exercised. For example if the dispute is with IIM Ranchi, the jurisdiction area will be Ranchi (Jharkhand) |
Application for Fee Refund
You need to claim the MBA fee refund and should write admission fee refund application on the prescribed format. It can be the token amount/commitment fee or known by something else that you have already deposited with the B-school to secure your admission.
AICTE guidelines require only the key information should be included in MBA fee refund claim. The MBA fee refund claim format is broadly the same for almost all the MBA colleges except for a few minor changes specified by the respective B-school. It may include their own prescribed printed format or the one to be downloaded from their site on some payment among others.
The onus to provide the prescribed format of fee refund letter/ application as per AICTE fee refund policy lies on the part of the B schools. The fee refund policy is more or less same in all the institutes but each one may have slightly different fee refund claim format with its name printed on it.
No Institute can pressurize students
AICTE has directed the institutes not to put pressure on students who do not want to study in the particular institute and facilitate the fee refund in 7 days from the date of receipt of fee refund application. Students are not supposed to run from pillar to post to get the prescribed AICTE format for fee refund.
While some of the institutes readily provide the prescribed printed formats available with them to help the candidates and to smoothen the process as per mandatory requirement of AICTE fee refund policy, some others refuse to co-operate and others may simply ask for the well written application to claim the refund.
Fee Refund Claim Format
The prescribed format for admission withdrawal and fee refund as per AICTE norms of AICTE for fee refund 2022 is shared below. Please also cross check with the institute whether they have some other format for fee refund. Application for fee refund/admission withdrawal should be sent to the B-school in 2 copies.
Application for withdrawal of admission: Session 2022-23
To, Date:
The Director/Dean
____________
Res Sir,
I secured admission to ___________ (name of the course vis PGDM/MBA) in your institute on ___________(Date of admission). I would like to cancel it for the following reasons: _____________________________________________________ (Write the reason)
Name of the candidate: Ms/Mr___________________________________________________( IN BLOCK LETTERS) Surname Name
Regn number (Applicable exam like CAT/XAT/CMAT/GMAT/MAT/others) __________________________
Residential Address (As registered)_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mob number:__________________________ email____________________________________
Fee paid Rs.____________(In words)________________________________________________
I am enclosing the copy of fee receipt no._________ dated_____________ Amount______________
I am returning my I- card in original (If issued by the B school) Number____________________
I am also returning other documents/material provided to me by the institute
- ____________________
- ____________________
- ____________________
(Strike out whichever is not applicable)
Kindly direct the concerned to return my original documents and refund the MBA/PGDM fee paid as per the AICTE rules.
Thanking You,
Yours faithfully,
_________________
(Signature of the candidate)
(Name of the candidate)
Claim Acknowledgement from the institute
If you are submitting the fee refund request in person, please get the fee refund application acknowledged by the authorized person at the B-school under his signature, date and stamp of the institute so that you have a valid proof that you submitted the request else the B school may also throw it in the dustbin.
In case you have sent the fee refund application by Registered/speed post/courier, please keep the copy of written application and the postal/courier receipt for your record. If you have sent the MBA fee refund claim by courier, instruct the courier service to provide you the Proof of Delivery (PoD) of the fee refund claim letter. No wonder that one day the B school may say you never submitted the request for fee refund.
Please also send the fee refund request on e-mail of the institute and a copy of the request should also be sent to AICTE.
After receiving the Fee refund
You are supposed to furnish acknowledgement to the institute on receipt of fee refund cheque/DD and original documents. The format is supposed to contain following items, although the acknowledgement slip may differ from one college to other.
Received the following original documents from the ____________________(Name of the B school) along with the cheque towards refund.
- Cheque no________ date________ amount_________
- Original document-1 (details)_____________________
- Original document-2 (details) _____________________
- Original document-3 (details) _____________________
If fee refund not received in 7 days
- No MBA college can direct or pressurize you to write only the reason of fee refund as it wants. So beware of it and write the correct reason of admission withdrawal.
- Send reminder of fee refund claim to the B-school and to the AICTE if the refund is not received in 7 days. It will help you to retrieve your money faster.
- In case you still do not get the fee refund, do not wait. Immediately write to AICTE & MHRD regarding the undue delay. Ask for the compensation also. The institute has no right to withhold your fee beyond 7 days, once you have withdrawn your admission from there.
- You can complain to AICTE and MHRD. They have powers to direct the institutes under AICTE Act
- You may use RTI asking the B school as well as AICTE to clarify the situation as to why the refund is not made.
Action by AICTE in case of fee refund failure by B-school
In case of B school not refunding the fee amount as per the AICTE fee refund rules to the withdrawing student and on receipt of student’s complaint, AICTE can-
- Issue show cause notice to the institute
- Instruct the B school to give back the original documents of the student. (If retained)
- Initiate disciplinary action against the B schools
- Withdraw the approval granted to run the programme or course
- Stop admission in the course for 1 year
- Suspend the approval of supernumerary seats in the B school
- Impose penalty upon the institute upto twice the total fee collected from one student
