Students at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) are facing a considerable increase in tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic session. The administration unveiled hikes ranging from 19% to 41% across various undergraduate and postgraduate programs, which has raised concerns among the student body.
The affected departments span the spectrum of humanities, social sciences, science, and professional courses. Notably, the Department of Persian is experiencing the highest spike at 41.41%, where annual fees will rise from ₹6,700 to ₹9,475. Similarly, the Department of Arabic, along with foreign language degree programs in Turkish, French, and Spanish, is seeing a 37.15% increase, bringing fees up to ₹9,875.
Social sciences courses, including the MA and BA in Political Science, History, Sociology, and the four-year BA (Multidisciplinary), will also see their fees jump by 32.99% from ₹7,425 to ₹9,875 annually. Students pursuing B.Com (Hons) will face a similar rise of 33.02%, with fees climbing to ₹9,875.
The fee adjustments extend to science programs as well, impacting BSc students in Geography, Mathematics, and Physics who will have to pay ₹10,475 per year, a 34.29% increase from last year's ₹7,800. In engineering disciplines, the BTech program’s fees are rising by 19.04%, from ₹16,150 to ₹19,225, while M.Tech programs will see a 16.48% hike, costing ₹21,375 yearly.
Law students enrolled in the B.A. LL.B. and LL.M. courses are not exempt from these hikes either, with their fees increasing by 19% to ₹17,850 per year, up from the previous ₹15,000. Additionally, the university has launched several new self-financed academic programs, some of which come with notably high tuition fees. For instance, the newly introduced MSc in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning will cost ₹52,400 per year, while the MSc in Disaster Management & Climate Sustainability Studies is priced at ₹58,775 annually.
To accommodate this significant financial burden, JMI has introduced an installment payment option for students enrolled in self-financed programs, allowing them to pay their tuition fees in two parts. However, despite the introduction of these payment measures, students remain troubled about the affordability and accessibility of their education amidst these steep tuition increases.
The university administration has yet to make an official statement regarding the rationale for these substantial fee revisions, leaving many students seeking answers. As JMI progresses into the 2025-26 academic year, it remains to be seen how these changes will affect student enrolment and overall satisfaction.
In addition to the fee hikes, Jamia Millia Islamia has also introduced 14 new courses for the 2025-26 academic year as part of its commitment to academic excellence and skill development. These new offerings aim to attract more students and broaden educational opportunities at the institution.
As a direct result of these developments, JMI aims to maintain its competitive edge and attract more enrollees. However, there are concerns regarding how the financial strains may impact students already facing economic challenges.
