St Stephen’s College flouts DU fee rules, asks students to pay university and college fees separately

New Delhi: St Stephen’s College, affiliated with Delhi University, has asked its first-year students to pay the university and college fees separately this year. This move violates DU’s rule of collecting fees through a single payment portal. The new dual-payment system has also led students to pay more than three times the university’s actual share of the total fees.

As per the 2025–26 fee notice, the DU fee for most of the programmes is listed between Rs 11,551 to Rs 11,630, while DU’s official share is only Rs 3,500 per year. This means students were charged over Rs 8,000 extra, which is a 230 per cent increase. With around 400 first-year students, this amounts to an additional Rs 32 lakh collected in total.

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For students under the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category, the college listed Rs 1,150 as the DU fee, though the actual amount is Rs 875. The college also directed students to pay the DU fee on the university portal and the college fee between Rs 17,500 and Rs 19,000 per semester separately after joining. Together, a first-year need to pay nearly Rs 30,000 per semester.

In comparison, other DU colleges like Miranda House and Ramjas charge much less. Miranda’s annual fee ranges between Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000, while Ramjas charges Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,000 including the university’s Rs 3,500 share.

A Delhi University official said the university was 'not in cognisance' of the separate payment system or the inflated DU fee mentioned by St Stephen’s. As reported by TOI, Haneet Gandhi, Dean of Admissions, said, ' There is only one payment system. Students are required to pay their fees through the DU portal, from which the university keeps its share and transfers the rest to colleges. No other medium of payment can be created as per rules.'

Confirming that the university’s share was Rs 3,500 annually, Gandhi added, 'The college should look into how to rectify the overcharge.'

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As per TOI, when contacted, Chinkhanlun Guite, bursar and public relations officer of St Stephen’s, admitted that the college had created a separate payment route. 'It was done for the convenience of students,' he said. When asked if permission was sought from the university, he replied that no such permission is required. Repeated calls and messages to Principal John Varghese for clarification went unanswered.

This comes amid ongoing tensions between St Stephen’s and DU over adherence to university rules. The college has often defended its right to follow independent procedures, citing its minority status, while DU maintains that all affiliated colleges must follow common norms.