Private colleges are preparing to shut their doors from October 13 if the government fails to release the pending fee reimbursement dues by October 12. The Telangana Private Degree and PG Colleges Managements Association said that despite repeated assurances, only a fraction of the promised funds had been released.

Krishna Mohan, member of the association, said that discussions were held with Chief Secretary K, Ramakrishna Rao on Monday. “We met the Chief Secretary and submitted a representation. A core committee meeting will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) with representatives from higher education institutes to review the situation. We are also seeking an appointment with the Chief Minister to discuss the problems faced by over 2,000 colleges and measures to improve quality,” he said. “A final decision on shutting colleges from October 13 will be taken tomorrow.”

According to association president Dr B. Satyanarayana Reddy, the government had assured a release of ₹900 crore last month but credited only ₹300 crore by October 1. He added that colleges were promised ₹600 crore before Dasara and another ₹600 crore before Deepavali, both still pending

The association said colleges have been under financial strain for months, with fee reimbursement delays affecting salaries, maintenance, and operations. Another body, the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI), has already called for week-long protests from October 13 to 18 and they cited dues exceeding ₹10,000 crore.

Despite earlier meetings and partial releases, the associations maintain that the government has failed to meet its own deadlines. College managements are now waiting for a clear response from the Chief Minister before deciding whether to go ahead with the shutdown next week.