Coaching centre not refunding fees after leaving the course? India guide — pro-rata refund within 10 days (Coaching Guidelines 2024), Rajasthan Coaching Centres Act 2025 (Kota), hostel / mess fee, misleading ‘100% selection’ ads (CCPA 2024), consumer complaint, helpline 1915 (2026)
Plain step-by-step guide for students and parents when a coaching institute (JEE, NEET, UPSC, SSC, banking, tuition) refuses to refund fees after the student leaves mid-course, keeps hostel and mess money, raises fees during the course or made false promises in advertisements: what the Central guidelines and State laws say, how to ask for a refund in writing, and where to complain. Educational only — not legal advice. Adhiwakta does not send notices or file complaints for you.
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What the 2024 Central guidelines say
The Ministry of Education’s Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centres, 2024 (January 2024) ask States to regulate coaching centres. Key points: a centre must publish a prospectus with courses, duration, fees, hostel and mess charges, and its exit and refund policy; fees should be fair and receipts given; fees cannot be increased during an ongoing course; and if a student who paid the full course fee leaves in the middle, the fee for the remaining period must be refunded on a pro-rata basis within 10 days — including hostel and mess fees if the student stayed in the centre’s hostel. Students below 16 years (or before the secondary school exam) should not be enrolled. Violations attract penalties of ₹25,000, then ₹1 lakh, then cancellation of registration. Because these guidelines work through State laws, check your State’s rules too.
Rajasthan (Kota, Jaipur, Sikar) and other State laws
Rajasthan has enacted the Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025, which applies from the date the State notifies. It gives the same pro-rata refund within 10 days on leaving mid-course, including hostel and mess fees (section 13(4)); bars a fee hike during the course (section 13(5)); asks District Committees to let parents pay in at least four instalments; and lets a student, parent or teacher complain to the District Committee, which should decide within 30 days (section 18), with penalties of ₹50,000, then ₹2 lakh, then cancellation (section 19) and an appeal to the State Authority within 30 days (section 21). Some other States, such as Bihar, also have coaching laws. Ask the district collectorate or education office which authority handles coaching complaints in your district.
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Write in Hindi or English · general guidance, not legal advice
Step 1 — ask for the refund in writing
Collect the fee receipts, the admission form, the prospectus or brochure, screenshots of the website or ads, the refund policy, chats or e-mails, and the date the student actually stopped attending. Send a written refund request by e-mail and registered post to the centre’s head office, stating the course fee, the period used, the pro-rata amount claimed, hostel / mess charges and your bank details, and give a short deadline. Keep proof of sending. Many disputes settle at this stage. If you paid by card or UPI and the centre shut down, also talk to your bank about a dispute.
Step 2 — consumer helpline and consumer commission
Register a grievance with the National Consumer Helpline (call 1915, or the NCH app / website); it forwards the complaint to the company for settlement. If that fails, a consumer complaint can be filed online on e-Jagriti before the District Consumer Commission (claims up to ₹50 lakh), within two years of the cause of action (Consumer Protection Act, 2019 section 69). Consumer commissions have treated coaching as a service and ordered refunds where centres kept fees for unused periods or did not deliver what was promised, but each case depends on its facts and terms. Clauses saying ‘fees are not refundable in any case’ may be challenged as unfair.
False ‘100% selection’ or topper ads
The Central Consumer Protection Authority’s Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector, 2024 bar false claims of 100% selection, guaranteed selection, guaranteed job or high marks, and require ads showing a successful candidate to clearly state the candidate’s name, rank, course and whether it was paid. If you joined because of such an ad, keep a copy and mention it in your complaint; you can also report it to the CCPA through the National Consumer Helpline.
Student safety and stress
Coaching guidelines also require counselling support for students under stress. If a student is in distress, talk to them first and seek help — the Tele-MANAS mental health helpline is 14416. Do not let a fee dispute become a reason to pressure the student.
Avoid these mistakes
Do not sign a fresh ‘no refund’ undertaking at the time of leaving. Do not post defamatory allegations online — stick to facts in written complaints. Note that a refund under these rules is for the unused period of a fully paid course; if you paid in instalments, ask about the instalments not yet due. Keep everything in writing.
How Adhiwakta can help
We do not send notices, file consumer complaints or contact coaching centres or authorities for you, and we do not promise any refund. Adhiwakta is a facilitation platform, not a law firm. We do not file cases, appear before any authority, or promise any result. Use Ask Adhiwakta to describe your situation for general guidance from an independent advocate, or start with the AI helper to organise your facts and papers. Educational only — not formal legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
- Will I get my coaching fee back if I leave midway?
- Under the 2024 Central coaching guidelines and laws like the Rajasthan Coaching Centres Act, 2025, a student who paid the full course fee and leaves midway should get a pro-rata refund for the remaining period within 10 days, plus hostel and mess fees if staying in the centre’s hostel. Check your State’s rules and the centre’s written policy.
- The coaching centre says ‘fees once paid are not refundable’. Is that final?
- Not necessarily. Such clauses can be challenged where they conflict with the applicable rules or are unfair. Send a written refund request, then use the National Consumer Helpline (1915) and, if needed, the consumer commission on e-Jagriti.
- Where do I complain against a Kota coaching institute?
- Send a written request to the centre first. Once the Rajasthan Coaching Centres Act, 2025 is in force, complaints go to the District Committee, which should decide within 30 days. You can also use the National Consumer Helpline (1915) and the District Consumer Commission.
- Can a coaching centre increase fees in the middle of a course?
- No. The Central guidelines and the Rajasthan Act say the fee on which enrolment was made cannot be increased during the ongoing course.
- What is the time limit for a consumer complaint about coaching fees?
- Two years from the date the cause of action arose, under section 69 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Delay can be condoned only for sufficient cause.
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