Students at Jamia Millia Islamia face tuition fee hikes of 19-41%

Students at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) are facing a substantial rise in tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic session, with hikes ranging between 19 per cent and 41 per cent across various undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This fee revision, which affects both humanities and professional programmes, has raised concerns among students. However, the university administration has yet to provide an official statement explaining the decision.

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Among the most affected departments, the Department of Persian has seen the highest fee increase of 41.41 per cent, with annual charges rising from Rs 6,700 to Rs 9,475. Similarly, the Department of Arabic, along with BA foreign language courses such as Turkish, French and Spanish, has experienced a 37.15 per cent hike, bringing the new annual fee to Rs 9,875.

The fee increases have also impacted social sciences and humanities programmes. Students enrolled in BA and MA courses in Political Science, History, Sociology and the four-year BA (Multidisciplinary) programme will now have to pay Rs 9,875 per year, reflecting a 32.99 per cent rise from last year’s Rs 7,425. Similarly, students pursuing a B.Com (Hons) degree will face a 33.02 per cent increase, bringing their annual fees to Rs 9,875.

Science students have not been spared from the fee hike either. The BSc programmes in Geography, Mathematics and Physics have witnessed a 34.29 per cent increase, with fees rising from Rs 7,800 to Rs 10,475 annually. Professional and technical courses have also seen sharp increases. BTech students will now have to pay Rs 19,225 per year, up 19.04 per cent from last year’s Rs 16,150, while MTech fees have risen by 16.48 per cent, reaching Rs 21,375 per year. Law students enrolled in the B.A. LL.B. and LL.M. programmes will also face a 19 per cent hike, with their fees rising from Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,850 annually.

Amid the steep fee hikes, Jamia Millia Islamia has introduced several new self-financed academic programmes, some of which come with significantly higher tuition fees. The newly launched MSc in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning will cost students Rs 52,400 per year, while the MSc in Disaster Management & Climate Sustainability Studies has been priced at Rs 58,775 annually. Additionally, a PG Diploma in Air and Space Law will be available at Rs 29,000 per year, along with certificate programmes in design, textile, photography and calligraphy.

To ease the financial burden, the university has introduced an instalment-based payment system for self-financed programmes, allowing students to pay in two parts. However, despite these measures, the sudden increase in tuition fees has left many students concerned about affordability and accessibility. With no formal clarification from the university administration yet, students are seeking answers regarding the rationale behind the sharp fee hikes.