Cusat students oppose sharp hike in administrative fees

Kochi: Students at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) raised strong opposition to the steep hike in administrative and allied fees introduced by the university. They alleged that the revised charges placed a significant financial burden on students, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds. The university students' union and various student organisations submitted complaints to the university administration, seeking a rollback of the increased charges.According to representatives of the university students' union, while the university officially announced only a 5% increase in tuition fees, sharp hikes in several administrative charges effectively increased the overall financial burden on students by up to 135%. A comparative study conducted by SFI highlighted substantial increases in multiple fees levied on students. As per the document, the caution deposit collected during admission increased from Rs 1,580 in 2025 to Rs 3,000 in 2026, marking an 89.8% rise. The alumni fee increased by 31.1%, while PTA fund for undergraduate programmes went up by 27.1%. The study further noted that Campus Radio fee was raised from Rs 530 to Rs 600, a 13.2% increase, while RFID card fee increased from Rs 320 to Rs 400, marking a 25% hike. "A large section of the student community comes from economically modest backgrounds, and such hikes make it difficult for students to meet academic requirements without stress," stated a letter submitted by SFI unit secretary Dhyan Krishna to university registrar. Members of KSU also raised the issue with the university administration. "Cusat already has the highest fees among public-funded universities in the state. For many programmes, the semester fee exceeds Rs 30,000, and it becomes significantly higher for students admitted under the All India Quota. The recent increase in administrative charges further worsened the situation for students," said KSU Cusat unit president Mohammad Rashid.