CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Medical Education has revised the fee structure for MBBS programs in self-financing medical colleges for the 2025-26 academic year. The annual tuition fees have increased significantly for NRI and management quota admissions, while government quota rates remain unchanged.
As per the order fees for government quota in the 21 self-financing medical colleges were ₹4,35,000 to ₹4,50,000. The management quota fee was fixed at ₹15,00,000, while it was ₹27,00,000 for the NRI quota.
Revised Fee Structure at a Glance
| Quota Category | Previous Fee (Rs) | Revised Fee (Rs) | Increase (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Quota | 13.5 L | 15 L | +1.5 L |
| NRI Quota (Self‑Finance) | 24.5 L | 27 L | +2.5 L |
| NRI Quota (State Univ.) | 29.4 L | 30 L | +0.6 L |
Note: An Additional development fee of ₹60,000 is now permissible per student.
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Impacts on Admissions Policy
- No changes were made to government quota fees; those remain as before.
- The committee also abolished the unpopular “NRI lapse” category. Unfilled NRI seats will now be reallocated to the management quota at reduced fees, about 30% lower than the previous NRI fee.
A fee fixation committee led by Justice R. Pongiappan and Health Secretary P. Senthilkumar conducted a detailed review of the colleges’ audited expenses, covering salaries, facilities, and amenities, before recommending the fee hike.
Colleges may collect the following in addition to tuition:
- Admission fees, lab/computer/library fees
- Sports, maintenance, internet, and other recurring expenses
- Optional development fee capped at ₹60,000
Families have voiced concern over opaque additional charges. A Times of India report noted that students have sometimes paid ₹3-4 lakh beyond the official tuition, increasing total costs to ₹25-30 lakh for management seats.
Join NEET News 2025 “The tuition fee is declared, but what matters is the real cost after adding development, hostel, transport, books, it can double the amount.” Sanjay Tiwari, MBBS admission expert
Tamil Nadu’s Health Secretary has promised that the government will work on disclosing these full costs during the counselling process this year.
What This Means for Aspiring Students
- Management quota candidates should budget more than ₹20 lakh plus ₹60 thousand development fee and any hostel or transport charges.
- NRI aspirants must prepare for a total annual outlay of approximately ₹27–30 lakh.
- Government quota students pay only the standard tuition fee, which remains unchanged.
Although the fee increase impacts only self-financing and NRI admissions, it represents a significant burden for thousands of MBBS aspirants in Tamil Nadu. With total education expenditures rising close to ₹20 lakh annually, calls for full fee disclosure and regulatory oversight are gaining momentum. Meanwhile, government quota seats continue to offer a more cost-effective path, as these remain untouched by the latest hike.
