After St Xavier’s, Zydus, Tapovan, Sakar schools told to refund excess fees in Ahmedabad

The Fee Revision Committee set up by the Gujarat government has rejected appeals filed by three private schools in Ahmedabad — Zydus School at Godhavi, Tapovan School at Naranpura and Sakar School at Chandkheda — seeking approval for higher fees.

The committee upheld the fee structure earlier determined by the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC) and directed that any excess fees already collected from students must be refunded. With dismissal of the appeals, the FRC-approved fees for the academic years 2024–25, 2025–26 and 2026–27 will continue to apply.

Sources said some of the schools had begun charging higher fees in anticipation that their revision applications would be allowed. Following the latest decision, they may now be required to refund substantial sums, estimated to be between ₹5 crore and ₹8 crore in total.

The FRC revises and determines the fee structure of private schools once every three years. Schools that are dissatisfied with the approved fees are permitted to file appeals before the revision committee. Several schools in Ahmedabad and other cities had approached the committee seeking permission to raise fees. Hearings in these cases have now concluded, and final orders have been issued.

In the case of Zydus School for Excellence in Vejalpur, the school had proposed fees ranging from ₹73,325 to ₹96,970 for classes from pre-primary to Class 12 (science). The zonal committee initially fixed provisional fees between ₹51,266 and ₹66,150 for 2024–25, later revising them to ₹59,800 to ₹77,175 after considering objections. Fees for subsequent years were also capped.

While examining the appeal, the revision committee noted that several expenses claimed by the school were unjustified. It was also observed that salaries of 10 unqualified teachers had been included as expenditure. With 1,093 students enrolled, the committee concluded that a fee of ₹47,321 was adequate based on actual costs. The appeal was therefore rejected and the zonal committee’s decision upheld.

Appeals filed by Tapovan School in Naranpura and Sakar School in Chandkheda were also dismissed. At Tapovan School, fees for 2024–25 from pre-primary to secondary level were fixed between ₹34,500 and ₹46,000, while at Sakar School the approved fees ranged from ₹30,870 to ₹46,830. In contrast, Sakar CBSE School had sought fees between ₹49,000 and ₹62,500.

As a result, fee demands were lowered by ₹27,275 in the case of Tapovan School, ₹13,667 for Zydus School and ₹17,000 for Sakar School.

Officials said that since the appeals have now been finally rejected, the schools will be required to refund any excess fees collected from parents in previous years, which could amount to several crores of rupees. Sakar School has more than 1,600 students, while Tapovan School has around 944.

The revision committee has also noted that if the zonal fee committee chooses to impose penalties for violations, those provisions may be invoked.