Preparations for fee adjustment have begun at Kathmandu University (KU) following a decline in student enrollment. According to Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa, the University Vice-Chancellor, discussions were initiated to adjust the fees after only 70 percent of students enrolled in the university's popular program.
According to the Medical Education Commission (MEC), the university's student enrollment has decreased after the number of seats in ongoing programs were determined and increased in upcoming programs. The MEC made this announcement during a policy dialogue program called "Enrollment of Students in Higher Education Institutions and Its Various Dimensions" organized by the University Grants Commission. The MEC has limited the seats in the ongoing programs but not in the upcoming ones, causing a shortage of students for the university. The University has been urging the Commission for the last two years to acknowledge that their campus is not a public campus, but the Commission has not been responsive.
Due to the decreasing number of students, the university collaborated with an international partner university to expand its branch and explore the possibility of conducting some programs in Tirupati and Australia. However, the study and preparation for the branch expansion in Tirupati was unsuccessful. Therefore, they are considering the possibility of expanding the branch in Australia instead.
The university further stated that they have entered into agreements with eight educational consultancies to attract international students to study in Nepal. According to the agreement, the consultancies that have the ability to send students to study abroad are also authorized to bring students to Nepal.
According to them, the first priority should be to reform Tribhuvan University so that there are no student crises in the university. They believe that the university's situation will improve if there are improvements in the university itself. The university plans to offer free classes in some programs to maintain the university's reputation and support the students. Additionally, they have conducted short-term training programs.
