16,000+ Karachi University Students Defaulted on Fee in Four Years

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Pakistan has faced significant economic challenges, and this financial strain has also impacted students. Over the past four years, more than 16,500 students from the University of Karachi’s (KU) morning and evening programs have been unable to pay their tuition fees.

During a meeting held on Wednesday, KU disclosed that 16,506 students from morning, evening, and executive MBA programs collectively owe over Rs2.1 billion in unpaid dues from 2020 to 2024.

The meeting, chaired by Vice Chancellor Dr. Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, raised concerns about the substantial outstanding amount, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the issue. However, instead of considering the financial hardships faced by students, the administration decided that defaulting students would be barred from taking exams and denied admit cards.

The discussion also included a proposal to cancel the enrolment and degrees of students who had graduated but failed to settle their dues.

“The defaulting students were given ample opportunities to clear their dues, but they ignored them. As a result, it has been decided that only students in the evening program who have cleared their dues will receive admit cards and be allowed to appear for exams,” the official statement read.

A senior KU faculty member, speaking anonymously to Dawn, criticized the university’s stance, noting that tuition fees had been unjustly increased over the past four years. He highlighted that many students labeled as defaulters had already dropped out, unable to afford the rising costs.

The faculty member suggested that KU should seek financial support from the Sindh government through a bailout package to address the issue and provide relief to struggling students.