YCMOU to collect fees in four instalments

NASHIK: Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) has decided to receive annual fees in four installments from the students opting for courses having fees more than Rs 20,000 a year.
The university has been facing resentment of students from across the state for increasing its annual fees for some of its 190-plus courses. The institute on Wednesday issued the circular about the instalment, an arrangement that is likely to help around 8,000 students.
Registrar Dr Dinesh Bhonde told TOI that the Management Council of the university had already decided to introduce the installment system at its meeting held on September 21.
"The decision was made official through the on Wednesday after competition of formalities. This will benefit students of architecture, science and technology, education, computer science and health science streams. The fees will be accepted in four installments through online process," he added.
On Tuesday, members of the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) students' wing had staged protest against the fee hike in front on the university gate. NCP youth wing leaders had also put a lock on the main gate for some time.
"Open universities should have affordable fee structure as working youths from rural area prefer to study through these platforms. Unfortunately, YCMOU charges almost double annual fee than traditional universities for courses such as hotel management, BCA, hospitality and tourism. Moreover, the university had made it compulsory to pay entire fee at one go," said Sangram Kolte Patil, state president of the wing while claiming introduction of installment as success of the agitation.
"We are hopeful that the university will decrease fees of skilled-based courses soon," he added.
Bhonde said, "The university has more than 7 lakh students and as many as 190 courses. Out of them, only 8,000 students will be paying more than Rs 20,000 annual fee, that too in four installments. Most of the skills-based courses have been kept affordable for most of the students."