In Karnataka, the state fixes the fee only for KCET and COMEDK seats in private engineering colleges. Each college sets its own fee for management and NRI seats and has to publish it. Some other states, such as Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, have a fee committee that also fixes or caps management-seat fees.
Karnataka: the consensual agreement
Every year the Karnataka government signs a consensual agreement with the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association (KUPECA). It is made under the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, as amended in 2015, and is to be notified in the gazette under the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee) Act, 1984. The 2026-27 consensual agreement sets the split for non-minority member colleges and who decides each fee:
| Seat type | Share of intake | Who sets the fee |
|---|---|---|
| Government quota (KCET, through KEA) | 45% | Fixed in the agreement (raised 7.5% for 2026-27) and collected by KEA |
| COMEDK quota | 30% | Upper limit fixed in the agreement (also raised 7.5% for 2026-27) |
| NRI/NRI-sponsored (15%) and institutional or local preference (10%) | 25% | Each college notifies its own upper limit for the whole course, including development fees, on its website |
Source: 2026-27 consensual agreement between the Government of Karnataka and KUPECA. Minority colleges, deemed universities and private universities follow different arrangements.
The agreement also says that the fee structure of all types of seats in each college should be notified on KEA's and the college's websites a week before KEA's first round of option entry. The state's Fee Regulatory Committee and Admission Overseeing Committee are there to enforce the agreed fee structure and hear complaints. They don't set a separate management-seat fee.
States with a fee committee
In some states, a fee committee looks at each college's accounts and fixes its fee. In Maharashtra, the Fee Regulating Authority fixes each college's fee and, under a 2025 decision, has been reported to allow management seats to be charged up to three times the regular fee and NRI seats up to five times. Tamil Nadu's fee committee for self-financing professional colleges fixes separate fees for government-quota and management-quota seats. Committees like these usually look at:
- Faculty salaries
- Infrastructure, land and building costs
- Lab equipment and library
- Student amenities and utilities
- A reasonable surplus for development
Red flags
- Any "donation" or capitation fee — illegal. In Karnataka it has been banned since 1984.
- Cash demand — pay only the college, by bank transfer or demand draft.
- A fee higher than the college's own published notice — ask why, in writing.
- Fees not in writing — refuse. Always get a fee receipt with the college's seal.
What to verify before paying
- Download the college's published fee notice for the year you are joining, and compare it with the written quote.
- Ask for the fee year-wise for all four years, plus hostel and one-time charges, and whether it can change during the course.
- In a state with a fee committee, check the committee's fee order for that college.
- Pay only via bank channels (NEFT/RTGS/demand draft) with a proper receipt.
For actual numbers at well-known Bangalore colleges, see our management quota fee table for Bangalore.