FUUAST ready to review fee hike decision

The administration of Federal Urdu University of Arts Science and Technology (FUUAST) has decided to reconsider the decision of increasing fees.

FUUAST Vice Chancellor Prof Ziauddin told a press conference that this decision has been taken in the context of the ongoing protest of the students.

The recommendations of the committee will be put before Academic Council for the final decision, the VC said. During this time, students will not be charged late fees, however the increase in fees will remain in place until a new recommendation of the committee and the decision of the Academic Council.

Prof Ziauddin said although the students have been protesting for the past four days against hike in the fee, it should be considered that there has been no increase in the fee from 2017 to 2020. A slight increase in the fee was made last year. Our university grant has not been increased for the past several years, due to worst situation in the country.

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"We asked for a budget of Rs3,000 million from HEC but we got only Rs800 million," Prof Ziauddin said adding, "we are working under the federal government and we do not get grants from the provincial government like other provincial universities." He revealed that President Arif Alvi as the Chancellor of FUUAST had expressed surprise that the university fee was so low and it should be increased. This decision was made in a meeting during the tenure of former permanent VC Dr Athar Atta, he reminded.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2023.