UGC Confirms 2025-26 Fee Refund Policy: Full Refunds Guaranteed Until Sept 30

Updated on Nov 08, 2025 16:22

University Grants Commission (UGC) secretary Manish R. Joshi confirmed that the Fee Refund Policy for 2024-25 will continue for the 2025-26 academic session. Check the directivities below.

The policy remains effective until a new one is released, keeping the fee refund cut-off date on October 31, 2025. All Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) must strictly follow this policy and use deadlines from previous policies (2021-22 to 2024-25) to resolve old pending cases.

UGC warned that any HEI violating this Fee Refund Policy faces punitive action under Clause 5 of the October 2018 UGC Notification on Refund of Fees and Non-Retention of Original Certificates.

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Image credit: www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/1857727_Fee-Refund-Policy-2025-26.pdf

Provisions of the UGC Fee Refund Policy 2025-26

The policy ensures flexibility in admissions and prevents institutions from withholding large amounts of fees or original documents.

Cancellation Date	Refund Amount
On or before Sept 30, 2025	Full refund of all fees paid (0 cancellation charges)
Between Oct 1 and 31, 2025	Refund after a deduction of not more than INR 1,000 as a processing fee
After Oct 31, 2025	Refund calculated based on the timing of withdrawal relative to the institution's last date of admission (as per the detailed 2018 UGC guidelines)

What are the Important Directives for HEIs?

The UGC requires only self-attested copies, effective for the 2025-26 academic year, with institutions violating it facing strict punitive action.

HEIs are strictly prohibited from retaining students' original academic certificates (like: mark sheets, school leaving certificates). Just self-attested copies can be kept for records.
Institutions must proceed with the refund and return the money within 15 working days of receiving a student's formal withdrawal request.
The guidelines are obligatory for all UGC-recognized universities and colleges, regardless of their own individual policies mentioned in their prospectus.
Any institution violating of these rules will face strict action from the UGC, which can include withdrawal of approval or other punitive measures.
Those whose refunds are delayed or denied can file a grievance with the college's internal Grievance Redressal Cell or the UGC as per the UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023.

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