Punjab Government Increases Public Medical College Fees to Rs50,000

What happened

According to sources, the Punjab government has raised tuition fees at public medical and dental colleges by over 300 percent [1]. The tuition fees have increased from Rs15,000 to Rs50,000 [1]. Following this hike, students and parents have demanded that the government withdraw the decision [1].

In a separate decision from an April 24 meeting, the Admission Board of the Punjab government decided to hold the entrance test for MBBS and BDS admissions one month ahead of the original schedule [2]. The board, which consists of vice chancellors and principals from 18 medical universities and colleges in the province, was presided over by University of Health Sciences VC Maj Gen (Retired) Prof Dr Muhammad Aslam [2].

The board’s decision to move the test date was intended to prevent malpractices by private medical and dental institutions in Punjab that often begin admissions before official lists are displayed [2]. An official stated that approximately 1,000 high-merit students apply for private sector medical colleges every year due to confusion [2]. These students often apply to three or four private colleges, paying a Rs5,000 application processing fee and a Rs75,000 admission fee per institution [2]. Some private colleges have also reportedly required a tuition fee of Rs600,000 [2]. If a student is later selected for a government medical college, they are not entitled to a refund of the Rs75,000 admission fee paid to a private institution [2].

Regarding costs, the board recommended no increase in tuition fees for the current year to assist students, though it allowed a 10 percent increase in hostel utility charges due to rising electricity and gas rates [2]. The entrance test fee in Punjab is Rs500, which is lower than in other provinces: Balochistan charges Rs3,500, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa charges Rs1,500, and Sindh charges between Rs1,000 and Rs1,900 [2].

Who is affected

• Students and parents of those studying at public medical and dental colleges in Punjab [1].
• Poor and middle-class students seeking merit-based admission to medical programs [1].
• Candidates applying for MBBS/BDS admissions in Punjab [2].
• Private medical and dental institutions in Punjab [2].
• Sialkot, which may be declared an entrance test centre because it has a public sector medical college [2].