The fee hike across the state’s agricultural colleges has forced many parents to take out last-minute education loans or pawn gold to keep their children’s dreams alive.
Published Oct 30, 2025 | 5:14 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 30, 2025 | 5:14 PM
The issue gained wider attention after a student at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, dropped out citing the steep fee hike.
Synopsis: A sudden and steep fee hike at Kerala’s state-run agricultural colleges has plunged hundreds of students and their families into distress, with tuition charges nearly tripling from ₹24,000 to ₹72,000 per year. Many first-year students, including those from middle-class and farming backgrounds, now face the painful choice between continuing their studies or burdening their families with fresh loans and pledged gold.
Sabaha I, a first-year BSc (Hons) student from Alappuzha, Kerala, spent two years preparing for NEET, the pre-medical test, before securing admission to Kerala Agricultural University (KAU).
“We got admission based on our NEET ranking and referred to the previous year’s fee structure to decide whether it was affordable. Last year, the tuition fee was ₹11,450 per semester, and the total came to around ₹29,300 including library, magazine, and other charges. There’s usually a 5 percent fee hike every year, so we expected a small increase,” she recalled to South First.
But within days, her elation turned into crippling anxiety.
“The first option registration notification came only on the morning of Thursday, 5 September. The tuition fee mentioned there was ₹24,050 per year, which seemed affordable and matched our expectations,” she explained.
“But on the night of Saturday, 7 September, a new notification appeared. The tuition fee for all agricultural colleges was suddenly revised to ₹72,000 per year [₹36,000 per semester]. Including other semester charges, the total fee comes to around ₹96,000 for a year.”
The allotment memo also stated that students must pay the first semester fee of ₹36,000 in advance, along with an admission fee of ₹3,000 – a sharp rise from the previous year’s ₹840.
The sudden and steep fee hike now threatens her dreams.
Yet, hailing from a middle-class family, the daughter of a retired government servant, Sabaha cannot bring herself to tell her parents about the financial burden. She has seen their struggles and health concerns and fears adding to their pain.
Sabaha’s story is not unique. The fee hike across agricultural colleges in the state has forced the parents of many of her classmates to apply for last-minute education loans or pawn gold to keep their children’s dreams alive.
The issue gained wider attention after a student at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, dropped out citing the steep fee hike. Arjun, a native of Thamarassery in Kozhikode district and the son of a farmer, shared a video on social media narrating his distress after collecting his transfer certificate from the college.
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In response, the College of Agriculture issued a statement saying the institution ensures that no student discontinues studies due to financial hardship. The college added that various scholarships and financial aid schemes are available for economically weaker students, and that Arjun was eligible for such support.
Agriculture Minister P Prasad also assured that the government will facilitate the readmission of Arjun.
”He is eligible for a fee concession, and the government will not impose additional financial burdens on students. If the student community opposes the hike, we are open to reviewing it,” the Minister said.
Vellayani College Dean Dr Jacob John similarly stated that Arjun had been informed he qualified for e-grants covering tuition and hostel fees.
Arjun welcomed the Minister’s intervention but said several students had also left the college for financial reasons. ”The concession should apply to everyone, not just me,” he said, adding that he might instead focus on preparing for PSC exams.
Another first-year student from the Ambalavayal campus in Wayanad, who spoke to South First on condition of anonymity, said he is contemplating withdrawing from the course as his parents are unable to bear the financial burden.
What troubles him most is that leaving now would mean losing an entire academic year.
“I never imagined the fees would rise this much. The BSc Agriculture programme at Ambalavayal Agricultural College has 67 seats, and admissions are still in progress. By the time students finish the eight-semester course, they will have paid nearly ₹4 lakh in fees alone.”
In comparison, the annual fee for the MBBS course in government medical colleges stands at ₹23,150, while for the BDS course in dental colleges it is ₹20,840 – far less than what agriculture students are now being asked to pay.
KAU Vice-Chancellor Dr B Ashok IAS clarified that the fee revision aimed to enhance campus facilities and fund scholarships. ”If the government increases its monthly aid by ₹2 crore, the university can consider lowering fees,” he added.
The controversy also revealed political undercurrents: the fee hike was approved by KAU’s Academic Council, where a majority of members are Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-affiliated, even as the Communist Party of India-led Agriculture Department faces protests from the CPI(M)’s student wing, the Student Federation of India (SFI).
On the afternoon of Monday, 16 September, a meeting chaired by Agriculture Minister P Prasad was attended by the KAU Vice-Chancellor, student unions such as the SFI and the Kerala Students Union (KSU), along with student representatives.
Following opposition from student unions, there was a promise to review the decision, yet no concrete steps have followed.
“The caution deposit was raised from ₹1,650 to ₹5,000. There’s also ₹5,000 for the PTA fund, ₹7,500 as hostel caution deposit, and mess fees. Altogether, we end up paying nearly ₹50,000 per semester. Next year, there will be another hike of 5 percent to 10 percent. Even a 5 percent hike is unbearable,” Sabaha said, tearing up.
“This is a government university. Most of us come from middle-class families. How do we tell our parents? How much more gold will they have to pledge? How many banks will we have to approach for an education loan? No one seems to hear us.”
On the afternoon of Tuesday, 28 October, tensions came to a head on the KAU campus in Mannuthy, Thrissur, after the SFI’s demonstration against the fee hike turned violent.
The SFI had organised the march demanding a rollback of the increased fees in the university’s affiliated colleges. Its leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue the agitation until the administration reverses the decision.
Inaugurating the protest, SFI State Secretary PS Sanjeev criticised the fee hike at KAU, calling it unjustifiable for an institution functioning directly under the state government. He said the move contradicted the values and policies of a Left-led administration.
Sanjeev also alleged that the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar “left the venue” when students sought a dialogue on the matter.
The SFI State President added that the organisation would persist with its protest until the university withdrew the revised fee structure.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
