How an online MBA refund policy works
If you are about to pay for an online MBA, find out what you get back if you leave. UGC, the University Grants Commission, sets a refund rule for every university in India. It applies to universities set up by law, deemed universities and their colleges, so it covers online MBAs too.
UGC's latest letters on refunds are dated 12 June 2024 and 27 October 2025. The 2025 letter says the same policy stays in force for later sessions, until UGC issues a new one. Both letters point to UGC's October 2018 rules on refunds, which set the refund table.
Three things decide your refund.
The full cost for the whole two-year course. Paying upfront or by semester can change it.
- The last date of admissionEach college announces a last date of admission for your session, and every deadline counts from it.
- When the college receives your noticeThe date the college receives your written withdrawal sets the share you get back.
- The college's own deductionsA college may deduct a processing charge, within UGC's limits.
UGC's refund table
The table shows how much of your fees comes back, depending on when the college receives your notice of withdrawal. All the dates count from the formally announced last date of admission for your session.
Under UGC's 2023 rules on student complaints, a college must also publish its fees and refund terms at least 60 days before admission begins. So the last date of admission should be in the college's published terms. Find it as soon as you join, and write it down.
| When the college receives your notice | Share of fees refunded |
|---|---|
| 15 days or more before the last date of admission | 100 per cent |
| Less than 15 days before the last date | 90 per cent |
| 15 days or less after the last date | 80 per cent |
| More than 15 and up to 30 days after the last date | 50 per cent |
| More than 30 days after the last date | Nothing |
Source: UGC letter of 12 June 2024, reproducing UGC's refund rules of October 2018
What each college says about refunds
Each college publishes its own refund terms, and they should follow UGC's table. Manipal University Jaipur publishes the most detail. Its refund policy uses the same five steps as UGC's table. It also deducts a processing charge of ₹1,000, and it does not refund the application fee.
Amity University Online says in its questions and answers that it follows a refund policy in line with UGC's guidelines. For NMIMS and Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, rely on UGC's table, which covers every deemed university. Ask each college to confirm its terms in writing before you pay.
Do not confuse Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune with other universities that carry the D. Y. Patil name. Their refund terms do not apply to it.
| College | What it publishes |
|---|---|
| Manipal University Jaipur | UGC's five steps, a ₹1,000 processing charge, and no refund of the application fee |
| Amity University Online | Says its refund policy is in line with UGC's guidelines |
| NMIMS | UGC's table applies; ask for its terms in writing |
| Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | UGC's table applies; ask for its terms in writing |
A worked example
Say you pay Manipal University Jaipur its full fee of ₹1,57,500 upfront, and then change your mind. Say the college announced a last date of admission for your session.
If Manipal receives your withdrawal 20 days before that date, you get 100 per cent back, less its ₹1,000 processing charge. That comes to ₹1,56,500. If it arrives 10 days after the last date, you get 80 per cent back, which is ₹1,26,000, before the processing charge. If it arrives 40 days after the last date, you get nothing back.
So a few days can change your refund by ₹30,500. Send your withdrawal as soon as you decide, and send it in writing, so that you have proof of the date. The application fee does not come back at Manipal at any stage.
How paying upfront affects a refund
Paying the whole fee at once saves money. At Manipal University Jaipur, paying upfront costs ₹1,57,500, while paying each semester costs ₹1,75,000, which is ₹17,500 more. Paying yearly costs ₹1,66,250.
But paying upfront also puts more of your money with the college at the start. If there is a chance you may need to stop early, read the refund terms before you choose how to pay. See ways to pay for an online MBA for the options at each college.
Some charges are separate from the tuition fee, and the refund terms may treat them differently. At NMIMS, exams cost ₹19,200, the project costs ₹3,000 and admission processing costs ₹1,200. Amity University Online lists an application fee of ₹6,100. Ask in writing which of these charges come back if you withdraw.
How to withdraw and claim your refund
How you withdraw matters as much as when. Each college has its own way to ask for a refund. At Manipal University Jaipur, for example, you log in to the application portal and choose the refund request under Payments. The refund goes back to the bank account or card you paid from.
Whatever the college, send your request in writing, from the email address on your student record. This gives you proof of the date the college received it.
- Tell the college in writingGive the date of your withdrawal, and ask the college to confirm when it received it.
- Ask for the amount in figuresAsk how much is due under the refund table, and the date it will be paid.
- Keep the replyKeep it with your receipts and a dated copy of the refund terms.
- Follow up after the dateIf nothing arrives by the promised date, the delay is a complaint you can raise.
Withdrawing or taking a break
Withdrawing is not the only choice if you have a difficult year. An online MBA gives you up to double its minimum length to finish, so a two-year course allows up to four years.
Each college sets its own rules about taking a break. If money or time is tight, ask about a break before you ask for a refund. A break may cost you less, because you keep the fees you have already paid. Get the college's answer in writing before you stop paying.
When a refund becomes a complaint
UGC's 2023 rules on student complaints treat money problems as complaints in their own right. UGC's letter of June 2024 names one of them directly: a refund that is delayed or refused, when the student withdrew within the time allowed. If this happens to you, you are not asking for a favour. The college must deal with it.
Write down the dates as they happen: when you withdrew, when you asked for the refund, and when you were told it would arrive.
- Being asked for more moneyA college asks for more money than its published admission terms state.
- A refund being held backA refund is delayed or refused, even though you withdrew within the time allowed.
How to raise a complaint
Start with the college, and keep a written record of every step. Copies of what you sent, and when, are your strongest evidence.
UGC's June 2024 letter also warns that a university that breaks the refund rules can face action under clause 5 of the 2018 rules.
- Write to the collegeQuote UGC's refund table and the date the college received your withdrawal.
- Use its online complaints systemEvery college must run an online system for student complaints.
- Appeal to the ombudspersonThe ombudsperson is an official who hears appeals, and aims to settle them within 30 days.
- Keep copies of everythingKeep your letters, receipts, the refund terms and every reply.
