PMDC makes fresh bid to control exorbitant tuition fees of colleges

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to control the exorbitant tuition fees of medical and dental colleges across Pakistan by fixing the maximum tuition fee limit. A legal opinion has also been obtained for this purpose.

A letter issued recently said: “Provisions of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Act 2022 private medical and dental colleges are bound by law and legitimate to fix annual tuition fee for the entire program of study and shall not be enhanced during the student’s period of enrolment at the college.”

It is reported that the registrar of the PM&DC had written the letter a few months ago seeking a legal opinion in this regard, stating that the regulations, made under the PMDC Ordinance 1962 (MBBS and BDS Admissions, House Jobs and Internships) Regulations, 2010 (Annex-Il) and 2012 (Annex-III)), fixed the tuition fee for private medical/dental colleges at Rs500,000 and Rs600,00 per annum respectively.

The Council later allowed a 7% increase in the tuition fee and fixed the fee at Rs642,000.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its order in a suo moto case, (01/2010 dated 9th &24th March 2018 (Annex-IV), had said: “We direct all the medical colleges in Pakistan to refund all amounts on excess of Rs850,000/- which have been received from their students for the current session.

The same shall be refunded to them within a period of one month from today, subject to the proof of payment made. However, this shall not include reasonable transportation charges (if applicable) and hotel charges (if any) if such facilities are available and the students have availed the same.”

Accordingly, based on the above court order for the year 2018, the tuition fee for private colleges was fixed at Rs 850,000 initially (Annex-IV) and later at Rs950,000 vide MBS and BDS (Admissions, House job and Internship) Regulations, 2018 (Annex-VI) based upon Supreme Court order dated 17th September, 2028 (Annex-VII). Subsequently, vide ‘Admissions Regulations, 2020-21, a 5% annual increase in the tuition fee was allowed for the session 2020-21.

However, currently most of the private medical colleges are charging Rs2 million to 2.5 million rupees per year in addition to the admission fee, while most of the dental colleges are charging 1.2 million to 1.8 million per year.

Two days ago, the deputy prime minister of Pakistan chaired a meeting of the Committee on Medical Education Reforms, where a strong note was taken of the exorbitant tuition fee being charged by private colleges, and decided to constitute a sub-committee to define modalities to regulate the tuition fee. It was however principally agreed that an institution that has charged an amount in excess of the fee published for the entire duration of programme shall refund that to students.