Private Medical Colleges Demand Fees Exceeding Amounts Disclosed to Selection Panel

Self-financing medical colleges across Tamil Nadu are demanding payments from students admitted through counselling that far exceed the fees disclosed to the state selection committee, leaving families facing unexpected extra charges of up to Rs 8 lakh a year.

The discrepancies came to light four days after Round 1 allotments were announced, as parents and candidates arrived at institutions across Chennai and other parts of the state to complete admissions. While the fee committee fixes tuition and the National Medical Commission requires full fee disclosures prior to counselling, parents found that actual fee demands at college counters differed sharply from the published schedules.

At Venkateshwara Medical College and Research Institute in Chennai, approved annual tuition is set at Rs 5.4 lakh for government-quota students and Rs 16.20 lakh for management-quota students. While the institution told the state selection committee that other fees would total Rs 1 lakh alongside hostel, mess, and transport charges of Rs 2.25 lakh to Rs 3.35 lakh, the college's website lists "other fees" at Rs 5.50 lakh, pushing total annual expenses above Rs 24 lakh for some management-quota candidates.

"We would have opted for deemed universities through central counselling had we known the fee here was so high," said R Surianarayanan, whose nephew was allotted a seat at the institution. "It is unfair to declare a lower fee for counselling."

Similar issues were reported at Sri Muthukumaran Medical College, where parents were presented with a printout demanding an unlisted Rs 50,000 caution deposit and Rs 1.80 lakh in other fees, compared to the Rs 1.50 lakh shown on the government website.

In some instances, institutions have demanded unreceipted cash payments. One parent reported that a private college in southern Tamil Nadu required Rs 8.40 lakh in cash on top of the annual tuition fee of Rs 16.20 lakh, refusing all other payment modes.

Student counsellors stated that families feel unable to lodge formal complaints for fear of students facing victimisation once classes begin. Counsellors also noted that several institutions mandate Rs 1 lakh transport fees for students living within 500 metres of campus and force students to purchase books and lab coats from campus stores at inflated rates. Meanwhile, fee records show Panimalar Medical College has complied with the amounts disclosed to the Selection Committee.