The Government of Punjab on August 07, 2026, issued the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to further amend the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions Act, 2016.
The following amendments have been stated:
• In the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, in section 2,
(i) after clause (ff), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-
“(fff) ‘cumulative fee enhancement’ means the aggregate percentage increase in the total fee charged by an Un-aided Educational Institution over the last thirty-six months from the month of notification of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Un-aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2026 in the Official Gazette, calculated by comparing the fee charged in the earliest of those three academic years with the fee charged in the latest academic year;”
(ii) for clause (g), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
“(g) ‘fee’ means the total of all amounts charged by or on behalf of an Un-aided Educational Institution or its associated body (Trust, Society, Company or any such entity) directly or indirectly from a student or parent, by whatever name called, including tuition fee, development fee, annual charges, activity charges, smart class or technology charges, transportation charges (where not separately contracted), laboratory and library charges, examination charges, any other funds, and any other compulsory monetary contribution or indirect collections and amounts collected through affiliated entities, and includes both recurring and non-recurring charges but excludes amounts collected as refundable security deposit, provided such deposit is actually refunded in full on the student’s departure;” and
(iii) after clause (g), so substituted, the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-
“(ga) ‘fee enhancement’ means any increase proposed by an Un-aided Educational Institution or its associated body in the total fee chargeable for a given academic year over the total fee charged in the immediately preceding academic year, expressed as a percentage of such preceding year’s fee;”.
• In the principal Act, for section 5, the following section shall be substituted, namely:-
“5. (1) An Un-aided Educational Institution shall be competent to fix its fee and it may also increase the same after taking into account the need to generate funds to run the Un-aided Educational Institution and to provide facilities necessary for the benefits of students: Provided that while fixing or increasing fee, the factors mentioned in sub-section (1) of section 6, shall be kept in view by the Un-aided Educational Institution.
(2) No Un-aided Educational Institution shall enhance its fee by more than five per cent of the fee charged by it during the immediately preceding academic year.
(3) Any enhancement of fee under section (2) shall be deemed to have been validly effected only if the Un-aided Educational Institution has displayed the revised fee structure at a conspicuous place within the school premises and on its official website not less than ninety days prior to the commencement of the academic year.
(4) The Un-aided Educational Institution shall also ensure that the parents or guardians of the students are duly informed of the revised fee structure through appropriate modes of communication, including email, electronic message including WhatsApp messages, circulars, parent-teacher meetings, or any other mode that may ensure effective notice.
(5) While fixing or increasing fee, an Un-aided Educational Institution shall not indulge in profiteering and shall not charge capitation fee.
(6) No unaided Educational Institution shall adopt any tactic, device or means, whether direct or indirect, to compel or induce a student or his or her parent or guardian to purchase the school uniform from the Un-aided Educational Institution itself or from any vendor specified, recommended or favoured by it, and every student, parent or guardian shall be at liberty to purchase the uniform, conforming to the colour, design and specifications notified and displayed by the Un-aided Educational Institution under this Act, from any vendor of his or her choice.
(7) Where an Un-aided Educational Institution prescribes any text book, work book or other study material for any class, it shall notify and display, at a conspicuous place in the school premises and on its official website, a list of not less than three publishers or vendors from whom such text book, work book or study material may be purchased, for the convenience of students and parents, and no Un-aided Educational Institution shall compel or induce, directly or indirectly, any student or his or her parent or guardian to purchase such text book, work book or study material from the Un-aided Educational Institution or from any one specific publisher or vendor, and every student, parent or guardian shall be at liberty to purchase the same, conforming to the title and edition so notified, from any publisher or vendor of his or her choice.”
[Notification No. 12-PLA-2026/32]
