RAWALPINDI, November 11, 2024 – All 14 education boards across Pakistan, including those in Rawalpindi Division, have announced a significant increase in examination fees for Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) students, citing a severe financial crisis.
The fee hike, which will be implemented for the 2025 intermediate exams, is expected to place a heavy financial burden on students, particularly those from low-income families.
The revised fee structure will require private candidates to pay Rs 5,000, while regular students will pay Rs 4,800 for combined examination fees.
Within these amounts, regular arts students will pay Rs 1,400, while science students will be charged Rs 1,500.
Private candidates will face higher fees, with arts students required to pay Rs 1,500 and science students Rs 1,600.
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In addition to the examination fees, students will also need to pay various other charges, including a Rs 1,000 registration fee, Rs 1,000 for the certificate, and Rs 1,000 for processing.
Additional charges for development, scholarship, and postal services total Rs 700. Students transferring from other boards will also need to pay a No Objection Certificate (NOC) fee of Rs 1,000.
The last date for submitting examination entry forms with a single fee is November 27, 2024.
After that, students will face higher fees: double fees will apply until December 11, triple fees until December 24, and penalties for late submissions will begin in February 2025.
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Parents have expressed concern about the fee increase, with individuals like Nadeem Asghar and Faisal Mufti voicing frustration over the rising costs of education.
They argue that the government, under its constitutional responsibility, should provide free education, and worry that these higher fees will prevent many economically disadvantaged students from continuing their studies.
