A numbers of private universities are charging very high tuition fees for graduation and post-graduation courses, increasing the monthly expenses of the students in the country.
Although, there are private universities with relatively low tuition fees, the amount of tuition fees in reputed private universities is surprisingly high in the country.
The students are forced to pay high prices for higher education, but there is no scope for them to express their opinion over the issue.
The private universities fix the fees as per their wish as the Private University Act 2010 does not say anything about how admission, tuition and course fees will be determined.
Authorities of those universities, however, argued that they have to bear the cost of everything from their own income, starting from purchase of land and building construction to payment of teachers’ salaries and various service bills. But the universities have no income sources other than the tuition fees.
Amid allegation of high tuition fees, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently sought information on how much private universities are charging the tuition fees.
UGC sources said BRAC University charges the highest tuition fee Tk 16.63 lakh for five-year long architecture course while the lowest tuition fee of Tk 41,700 is taken for BEd programme by Uttara University.
Talking to several students of Dhaka University, it is known that there are some differences in terms of semester fees depending on the department. In most of the departments at the DU, a total of Tk 3,825 has to be paid for the six-month semester including seat rent of the residential hall. Accordingly, the monthly expenditure of a DU student is Tk 637.
However, a student at Jahangirnagar University does not have to spend more than Tk 250-300 per month on university tuition fees, examination fees and hall seat rent. On average, the monthly cost for a student to study in a public university is around Tk 500.
At the undergraduate level of the private North South University, the highest fee, Tk 13.18 lakh, is charged for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) programme while the lowest of Tk 8.5 lakh for economics course.
So, on average, a private university student has to spend more than Tk 22,000 per month.
Apart from this, private universities are also collecting money from students by showing various sectors and expenses.
UGC member Professor Dr Biswajit Chanda told The Business Post, “Some private universities are charging very high fees. We are also thinking of setting a ceiling for the tuition fees at the universities.”
He said as per the Private University Act, approval of the UGC is required before determining the tuition fees but the universities do not abide by the law.
Prof Biswajit further said that the government has taken initiatives to amend the law. After the amendment, private universities will be forced to take the approval of the UGC to fix the tuition fees.
Tuition fees for graduation
UGC data shows that the highest Tk 16.63 lakh fee is charged for architecture course at BRAC University where the lowest fee is Tk 2.69 lakh for honours in English.
Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) is taking the highest Tk 11.10 lakh for Bachelor of Pharmacy course while minimum Tk 8.41 lakh for honours in economics.
Gono University charges the highest Tk 5 lakh Bachelor of Pharmacy course while the lowest Tk 1.50 lakh for honours in Bengal.
Tuition fees at postgraduate level
The highest fee at the postgraduate level is Tk 16.80 lakh at BRAC University for a one-year Master of Public Health (MPH) programme.
North South University takes Tk 3.80 lakh for one-year MBA programme at the postgraduate level while Independent University of Bangladesh takes Tk 3.87 lakh for the same course.
Regarding the tuition fees, Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) President Sheikh Kabir Hossain said the government does not provide any minimum financial support for the establishment and management of private universities.
He said there is no other source of income except tuition fees and the private universities have to run entirely on their own income.
