Booking an engineering seat? Conditions, mostly unsaid, apply

Aspiring engineers who have doubts over realising their dreams through Common Entrance Test (CET) or the Under-Graduate Entrance Test (UGET) conducted by the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (Comed-K) and are contemplating taking admission under management quota should take care before booking a seat.

For, they risk losing the money if, after paying, they decide not to study in that college.

Many colleges take as much as half the course fees in form of advance payment from those seeking to join under the management quota. If, later, the student gets admission in another college on merit, he/she will not be refunded the entire advance amount as the colleges deduct a certain portion of it.

In fact, some colleges deduct as much as half the advance amount. However, the students, at the time of paying the advance amount, are unaware — and sometimes deliberately kept in the dark — that the full amount may not be refunded.

Sandeep (name changed) is one such candidate who had given Rs6 lakh as advance payment for a seat under management quota in a reputed engineering college in the city.

The amount was half of the total course fees. He was issued a receipt for the money paid. After paying the money, he got a seat in another college through Comed-K. He went to the college where he had booked a seat by paying `6 lakh and requested for refund. Sandeep had the shock of his life when the college management told him that 10% of the amount would be deducted.

Sandeep said the college had earlier promised to refund the amount, if requested. He said he had to go to the college every day for two weeks for refund and finally managed to get back the full money only after using ‘high influence’.

Two prime engineering colleges in the city confirmed that they deduct half of the advance payment if a student requests for refund. The percentage of deduction varies from college to college—some deduct 10% whereas some deduct 50%. Not all colleges inform the students that certain amount will be deducted from the payment if they later reject the seat.