Complain About a Private School Fee Increase in Islamabad: PEIRA's 5% Rule and Steps
Islamabad private school raised fees above 5% or mid-session? PEIRA's rules, what schools cannot charge, how to check the registered fee and file a complaint.
In Islamabad, complain about a private school's fees to PEIRA at complaints.peira.gov.pk, or email complaints_cell@peira.gov.pk. A registered school may raise fees by 1 to 5% a year, and only between sessions. Anything above 5% needs PEIRA's prior approval.
The fee notice usually arrives with the summer holidays, and many parents assume nothing can be done. In Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), something can. The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) regulates private school fees up to higher secondary level. We read the law, the 2024 rules, the fee policy and PEIRA's complaint portal on 1 October 2026.
Islamabad private schools can raise fees by 5% a year at most
PEIRA's Fee Determination Policy of 6 August 2021 caps a yearly fee increase at 5%. A school wanting more must make a case and get PEIRA's prior permission, and even then the policy limits it to 6 to 8%.
The 2024 rules, notified in the Gazette on 20 February 2025 as S.R.O. 179(I)/2025, repeat the cap in rule 36. Each school may charge only up to the fee recorded in its PEIRA file at registration or renewal. Here is what the policy and rules say a school must and must not do.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly increase | 1 to 5%, under intimation to PEIRA | Rule 36(2), fee policy 4.2 |
| Above 5% | Only with PEIRA's prior approval, 6 to 8% | Rule 36(3), fee policy 4.3 |
| During the session | No fee increase at all | Rule 6(f), fee policy 4.4 |
| Notice of new fees | In writing, 60 days before the new fee applies | Rule 36(4) |
| How fees are charged | Monthly, with an official receipt | Rule 36(4) and 36(5) |
| Late payment fine | Up to 5% within 30 days, 10% within 60 days | Fee policy 4.4 |
| Building or loan charges | Not allowed | Rule 37(2) |
The cap is tighter than many parents think. The baseline is the fee a school charged in the 2016-17 session, under the 2021 policy, with yearly increases on top.
Extra charges a school cannot add in Islamabad
PEIRA's fee policy says a school can charge only what is in its "Schedule of Financial Charges", shared with parents before admission. The 2024 rules ban fees for building expansion or bank loan instalments, and ban forcing parents to buy uniforms from one shop.
- No surprise charges. The policy says there shall be no charges at all other than those in the schedule the parent acknowledged.
- No forced shops. A school may set uniform specifications, but rule 22 bars tying uniforms or products to a specific shop, including the school's own shop.
- Security fee back. Rule 6(x) says the security fee must be refunded, minus arrears, when a student leaves.
- Admission fee back within 30 days. The same rule says the admission fee is refunded if the student leaves within 30 days of paying it.
- Leaving certificate not held hostage. Rule 17 says a school cannot withhold a leaving certificate or security refund without legal ground. Parents must give one month's notice before leaving.
Punjab has its own law on this, with a different cap structure, set out under school fee increase rules in Punjab. Do not mix the two up. PEIRA covers schools inside Islamabad only.
Check your school's registered fee before you complain
PEIRA publishes a list of registered Islamabad schools, with a "view fees" option for each. Find your school, compare its recorded fee with your bill, and note the difference. That one comparison makes a complaint far stronger.
The list is at psms.peira.gov.pk, under "Active Registered Institutions with ICT-PEIRA". PEIRA says the data comes from the schools themselves at registration or renewal. A separate list names schools whose registration expired more than two years ago without renewal, which PEIRA says are liable to action under section 19 of the Act.
Gather your evidence before filing. Keep the fee notice, your last 12 months of fee vouchers, the receipts, and the school's admission papers or prospectus. Screenshots of school messages about fees help too.
How to file a fee complaint with PEIRA
Register as a parent on PEIRA's Complaint Redressal System, write your complaint with the school's name and the exact fees, and attach your vouchers. PEIRA sends the complaint to the school for a written reply, then decides.
- Open the complaint portal. Go to PEIRA's Complaint Redressal System and register under "Parent / General Public".
- Name the school and the issue. PEIRA's portal lists excessive fee charges among the issues it handles. Give the school's name, branch and sector.
- State the numbers. Write the old fee, the new fee and the percentage rise. Note the date the school told you.
- Attach your proof. Add vouchers, receipts, the notice and any messages.
- Follow up. Track the complaint on the portal. You can also email complaints_cell@peira.gov.pk or call PEIRA's complaints cell on 051 9107746.
Rule 31 of the 2024 rules sets out what happens next. PEIRA's Chairperson refers the complaint to the school's management for a written reply. After the school reports the action it took, PEIRA may pass any order it considers appropriate.
What PEIRA can do to a school that overcharges
PEIRA can fine a school 10% of the matching tuition fee for each day a breach continues, under rule 29. Under the 2013 Act, it can also suspend or cancel a school's registration after an inquiry and a hearing.
Section 16 of the Islamabad Capital Territory Private Educational Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Act 2013 lets PEIRA act "on receipt of a complaint or otherwise". The school must first get a chance to fix the problem if it can be fixed. Rule 37(2) says a person convicted under rule 29 must refund the excess fee to the student who paid it.
Section 19 of the Act allows up to one year in prison, or a fine of up to Rs 5,000 for each day, for running an institution against the Act. Only PEIRA can take such a case to court, under section 20.
If PEIRA does not respond, you can raise it on the Pakistan Citizen's Portal, which covers federal bodies such as the Ministry of Federal Education, the ministry PEIRA works under.
Common questions
How much can a private school in Islamabad increase fees?
Up to 5% a year, under PEIRA's fee policy and rule 36 of the 2024 rules. More than 5% needs PEIRA's prior approval.
Can a school increase fees in the middle of the year?
No. Rule 6(f) says no institution shall increase the fee during the academic session.
Where do I complain about a private school in Islamabad?
PEIRA's Complaint Redressal System at complaints.peira.gov.pk. You can also email complaints_cell@peira.gov.pk.
Can a school force us to buy books and uniforms from its shop?
No. Rule 22 bans tying uniforms and products to a specific shop. PEIRA's fee policy names the school's own shop too.
Will I get the security fee back when my child leaves?
It must, minus any arrears, under rule 6(x). Give one month's notice before leaving, as rule 17 requires.
Does PEIRA cover schools in Rawalpindi?
No. PEIRA covers private institutions in Islamabad Capital Territory only. Rawalpindi schools fall under Punjab's law.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 1 October 2026. We read the Islamabad Capital Territory Private Educational Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Act 2013 (Gazette of 19 March 2013), the Private Educational Institutions (Registration, Regulation and Promotion) Rules 2024 (S.R.O. 179(I)/2025, Gazette of 20 February 2025), and PEIRA's Fee Determination Policy of 6 August 2021, all as published on peira.gov.pk. We opened PEIRA's complaint portal, its contact page and its registered and unregistered school lists. We did not file a complaint, so we cannot say how long PEIRA takes to respond.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
