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NLU Students Renew Demand for CLAT Fee Reforms, Urge Consortium to Act

Students from National Law Universities across India have renewed calls for the CLAT Consortium to reform the exam’s fee structure, citing high counselling and application costs that hinder economically weaker aspirants.

By : EduAdvice 2025-10-29 07:29:00

 New Delhi. ; Students from National Law Universities (NLUs) across India have once again appealed to the Consortium of National Law Universities (CLAT Consortium) to take immediate action on their long-pending demand for fee reforms in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

The appeal highlights persistent issues surrounding high counselling and application fees, which students say disproportionately affect aspirants from economically weaker and rural backgrounds.

Despite multiple formal submissions over the past year, students allege that the Consortium has not acknowledged or responded to their representations, leading to increasing frustration within the student community.

High Counselling Fees a Major Barrier

The first major representation, submitted on November 16, 2024, drew attention to the non-refundable charges imposed during the CLAT counselling process. Candidates currently pay:

  • ₹30,000 counselling fee for General category candidates
  • ₹20,000 for candidates from reserved categories
  • An additional ₹20,000 confirmation fee to secure admission

Student representatives from the Cross-NLU Initiative — a collective platform of NLU student associations — argue that these high upfront costs act as an exclusionary barrier, discouraging many deserving candidates from low-income families from pursuing legal education at premier national institutions.

They emphasized that such a fee structure undermines the principle of equal access to public education, especially when NLUs are meant to serve as inclusive national law universities.

Students Propose Reforms and Need-Based Waivers

In their second submission on July 28, 2025, the students addressed their concerns not only to the CLAT Consortium, but also to the University Grants Commission (UGC), Bar Council of India (BCI), and the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The representation urged authorities to:

Review the existing application fee — ₹4,000 for General and ₹3,500 for Reserved category applicants

Introduce need-based waivers or income-linked exemptions for economically weaker candidates

This proposal was backed by an online petition signed by over 1,800 students, faculty, and alumni from the legal education community, reinforcing the urgency for reform. Students highlighted that first-generation learners and rural aspirants are most affected by the current fee structure.

Repeated Appeals, No Response from Consortium

The most recent communication, sent on September 2, 2025, requested a virtual consultation meeting between the Consortium’s Executive Body and student-nominated representatives. The objective was to explore equitable alternatives to the current fee model.

However, student groups report that no written response or meeting invitation has been received to date. The continued silence from the governing body, they say, raises concerns about transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in the CLAT admission process.

Call for Dialogue and Reform

In a joint statement, the Cross-NLU Initiative clarified that all representations were made in good faith, backed by data-driven analysis and comparisons with other national-level entrance exams such as JEE, NEET, and CUET.

The students proposed a series of reform measures, including:

  • Refundable deposits instead of non-refundable counselling fees
  • Reduced confirmation charges
  • Income-based fee relaxations or installment options for low-income applicants

They stressed that the goal is not confrontation but collaborative reform to ensure CLAT remains a fair and accessible gateway to legal education.

CLAT 2026 Registration Underway

Meanwhile, registration for CLAT 2026 is currently open, with the application deadline set for October 31, 2025. The entrance test will be held on December 7, 2025, in a single session from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM across multiple centres nationwide.

As the exam date nears, students hope that the CLAT Consortium will finally engage in dialogue and introduce long-awaited fee reforms to make India’s premier law entrance exam more transparent, affordable, and inclusive.

A Call for Dialogue, Not Delay

Student leaders emphasize that the ongoing issue extends beyond monetary reform — it represents a larger question of equity in legal education. They urge the Consortium to adopt a more consultative approach, prioritizing accessibility and social justice over administrative convenience.

Until then, the growing call for reform continues to echo across law campuses, reminding policymakers that affordability remains the first step toward equality in education.

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