Students over burdened by fee hike in Peshawar public sector varsities

PESHAWAR: Government universities in Peshawar have imposed an additional financial burden on students as they grapple with financial challenges.

The largest university in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in conjunction with the prestigious Islamia College University, has raised tuition fees to meet the financial demands of Khyber Medical University and The University of Agriculture Peshawar.

The administration of Islamia College University, Peshawar, has increased hostel fees by three thousand rupees. According to available documentation, the college has also hiked the open merit pre-medical fee from Rs 45,000 to 49,465.

Likewise, for students seeking admission on a self-financed basis, pre-medical fees have surged by Rs 13,000, going from Rs 98,000 to 111,000. Furthermore, pre-engineering fees have risen by Rs 5,000, reaching Rs 47,000. Documents reveal an additional Rs 5,000- per semester increase in the four-year BS program. Additionally, MPhil fees have seen an uptick of Rs 5,000, while the per-semester fee for PhD programs has risen by Rs 7,000.

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The University of Peshawar has followed suit by increasing fees for BS, Masters, MPhil, and PhD programs by 10 to 13 percent. Corresponding documents from Khyber Medical University Peshawar also confirm fee hikes.

According to a statement by Mia Kamal, the provost of Islamia College University Peshawar, these fee increases align with regulatory requirements aimed at covering the university’s operational costs. Hostel fees have also risen from RS 33,000 to 36,000.

Dr. Jehan Bakht, Vice Chancellor of the University of Peshawar, asserts that fee increases are not uncommon and are a well-established practice. The decision to raise fees at The University of Agriculture Peshawar and the University of Peshawar received approval from the Syndicate.