Karachi University (KU) is grappling with unpaid tuition fees amounting to more than Rs 2.1 billion as 16,506 students across morning, evening, and Executive MBA programs have failed to settle their dues from 2020 to 2024. This figure excludes research scholars enrolled in MPhil, PhD, and other postgraduate programs. This alarming statistic was disclosed during a meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Khalid Mahmood Iraqi at the KU Vice Chancellor Secretariat.
The session was attended by key academic and administrative officials, including Professor Dr. Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, Professor Dr. Shaista Tabassum, and Director Finance Syed Jehanzeb. The meeting highlighted the concerning financial strain caused by defaulting students. Officials revealed that 22,575 fee vouchers were issued to morning program students, with 9,370 students yet to pay their dues. The morning program alone accounts for Rs 991.54 million in unpaid fees, representing a collection rate of just 36.39%. In the evening program, 13,425 vouchers were issued, but 6,882 students remain defaulters, leaving over Rs 1.04 billion unpaid.
Here, only 26.84% of the total dues have been recovered. Similarly, in the Executive MBA (weekend) program, 254 students out of 767 have defaulted, resulting in unpaid dues of over Rs 60 million, with a recovery rate of 40.08%. Overall, KU issued 36,767 fee vouchers from 2020 to 2024, of which 20,261 students paid their dues, leaving a staggering Rs 2,101.5 million unpaid out of the total Rs 3,094.20 million charged. The participants discussed various strategies to address the issue.
They recommended barring defaulters from appearing in exams and withholding admit cards until dues are cleared. Discussions also included a proposal to cancel the enrollment and degrees of defaulting graduates. Despite repeated opportunities to settle their dues.
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