Varsity asked to return $11,270 to student

President says NUST committed maladministration by unjustly confiscating admission dues

President Dr Arif Alvi has directed the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) to refund an amount of $11,270 as it committed maladministration by unjustly confiscating the admission dues of a student about 15 years ago who vacated the seat at the initial stages and joined another university.

He said that NUST, having been established/controlled by the federal government, fell under the definition of “Agency” of the government, was not a private commercial entity but a service provider in the public sector, and confiscating the dues of a student was tantamount to exploitation and malpractice.

The president gave these directions in a 15-year-old matter, referred to him in 2022. According to him, a student was admitted to MBBS on the Foreign SAT basis session 2007 in NUST and his father (the complainant) deposited the admission fee of $11,420.

The complainant’s son got admission to another medical university in Pakistan and he applied to NUST for a refund. NUST refused his request on the basis of its Refund Policy.

Feeling aggrieved, the complainant approached Wafaqi Mohtasib in 2008, which directed NUST to refund the amount.

NUST, then, filed a representation which was rejected on the ground that NUST did not explain how its policy was lawful and it failed to show that it suffered any financial loss due to the student’s decision to join another university.

Hence, the decision of NUST to retain the fee was termed as unjustified.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2023.