Fee hike at Cusat: Syndicate to consider plea by student organisations

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The authorities of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) will place the decision to implement a hike in fees across various heads in the new academic year before the Syndicate again.

The move comes in the wake of repeated demands by student organisations to review the increase in the fee structure. They had pointed out that the hike would result in an increased financial burden for students.

Senior varsity officials stated that the Syndicate meeting held on December 20, 2025, had approved the report submitted by a sub-committee formed to propose the fee hike for the various academic programmes. The decision to place the issue again before the Syndicate was taken based on the requests made by the student organisations and the discussions held with their representatives, they said.

However, the revised fee structure will be applicable to admissions for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the 2026–27 academic year. “We are not in a position to alter the revised fee structure at this stage as the admission process has already begun,” officials said.

Asked about the possible date of the next Syndicate meeting, they stated that a clarity has not emerged, especially in view of the proposed re-constitution of the apex body after the formation of the new United Democratic Front government.

The organisations, including the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Kerala Students Union, had opposed the fee hike. In a letter submitted to the authorities, the SFI had said that there has been a substantial increase in the common academic fees to be remitted at the time of admission in 2026 compared to the rates in 2025.