By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: As the new academic year gains momentum, admissions for first-year intermediate students across various Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) colleges have raised eyebrows due to the strikingly different admission fees. Under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), several colleges are charging different admission fees for the same educational programs, leading to confusion and raising questions about the rationale behind such discrepancies. The fees for 1st-year humanities group students at Islamabad Model Postgraduate College (IMPC) H-8 are Rs. 8,920, while at Islamabad College for Boys (ICB) G-6/3, it stands at Rs. 8,220. Meanwhile, Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) F-7/4 and Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB) H-9 collect Rs. 7,720 for admissions in the same subject group.
Disparities are also evident in other academic streams. The commerce group follows a similar pattern, with IMPC H-8 setting the fee at Rs. 8,200, IMCB H-9 at Rs. 7,720, ICB G-6/3 at Rs. 8,220, and Islamabad Model Postgraduate College of Commerce H-8/4 at Rs. 8,260. In the pre-engineering group, Islamabad College for Boys (ICB) G-6/3 charges an admission fee of Rs. 8,700, whereas Islamabad Model Postgraduate College (IMPC) H-8 levies a slightly lower fee of Rs. 8,680 for the same program.
Similarly, Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) F-7/4 and Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB) H-9 both charge Rs. 8,200, while IMCG F-7/2 sets the fee at Rs. 8,660 for 1st-year students of the pre-engineering group.
The pre-medical group also faces discrepancies in fee charges, with IMCB H-9 and IMCG F-7/4 both asking for Rs. 8,440, IMPC H-8 and IMCG F-7/2 demanding Rs. 8,920, and ICB G-6/3 charging the fee at Rs. 8,700. Muhammad Ismail, a concerned parent, voiced his frustration, stating, All the colleges are public colleges under the federal government working under the same department i.e. FDE but their fee structure is different which is ridiculous and gives a bad impression to the general public.
