Get a University Fee Refund in Pakistan: HEC's 100% Rule Up to Day 10

HEC's national fee refund policy says a student who withdraws by the 10th day of classes gets 100 per cent of the tuition fee back. After that the refund falls to 80, 60 and 50 per cent, and from day 31 it is nothing. The admission fee is never refunded.

Most students only learn this after they have already paid. A student leaves a programme in week three and hears "fees are non-refundable" at the counter. That answer is often wrong, or at least incomplete.

We read the HEC National Fee Refund Policy, Revised 2024, on the HEC website on 7 October 2026. The policy binds public and private universities, including affiliated colleges. Here is what it lets you claim, and how to ask for it.

The tuition refund drops with every week of classes

HEC counts days from the start of classes, weekends included. You get 100 per cent of tuition back up to day 10, 80 per cent up to day 15, 60 per cent up to day 20 and 50 per cent up to day 30. From day 31 you get nothing.

HEC says the timelines include weekends. So a Monday start means your 10th day falls on a Wednesday of the second week. Count from the date classes began, not from the date you paid.

Other fee heads are refundable too, not only tuition

The policy lists library, laboratory, transport, utilities, examination, activity and security deposit fees as refundable. Some are refunded in full. Others are refunded minus the days you used the service. Only the admission fee and the application fee are not refunded.

Some universities tell students that only tuition can come back. We found no such limit in the policy text. Quote the clause number when you ask.

The security deposit is paid by new students with the first semester tuition. HEC says it is fully refundable once you finish your studies, or withdraw or move to another university, after any deduction for damage.

The policy names six reasons for a refund request

HEC says students leaving a programme generally qualify when the request falls under one of six reasons. They are a personal emergency, health, care or medical reasons for a family member, a legal or immigration matter, a delay in admission at another university, or another reason judged case by case.

One more case is spelled out separately. If you must leave because you did not meet the entry requirements once exam results were announced, you are eligible for a refund. Our note on what to do after you fail an Inter paper after taking admission walks through that situation, with the university schedules we read.

The policy does not make a refund automatic for every change of mind. The "other" reason is left to the university, so give a clear written reason and attach proof.

You can carry your tuition to the next semester instead

HEC lets a student postpone and carry the tuition fee forward to the next semester if the request comes within two weeks of the semester starting. After two weeks, the university may allow it only on medical grounds, with a certificate from a university medical officer or a government hospital doctor.

The university may check that the medical certificate is genuine. A student changing programme inside the same university can also move the fee. If the new programme costs more, you pay the difference. If it costs less, the university pays you the difference.

There is one case where nothing comes back. A student expelled for disciplinary misconduct gets no refund, apart from the security deposit.

How to ask for your refund in writing

HEC says you apply on the university's refund form and attach proof of payment. The refund goes to you or to your parent, guardian or sponsor. Because every day moves you down the ladder, send the request on the day you decide to leave.

1. Write down the date your classes started and count the days, weekends included.
2. Collect the original fee challan and the bank receipt for each payment.
3. Ask the admissions or accounts office for the refund form, and fill it in the same day.
4. State your reason in one clear paragraph, and attach proof for health, legal or family reasons.
5. Submit by email and a stamped hard copy, and keep the receipt or acknowledgement.
6. Ask for the refund amount in writing, split by fee head, with the clause of the policy it relies on.

Before you pay a new university anything, check that it is one HEC recognises. This guide to checking if a university or campus is HEC recognised shows how. The refund policy binds those institutions, and HEC says that breaking it can lead to regulatory action. We did not find a dedicated HEC refund complaint form, so put your claim to the registrar in writing first.

Common questions

How much tuition fee can I get back if I leave a university in Pakistan?

Under HEC's 2024 policy you get 100 per cent up to day 10 of classes, 80 per cent up to day 15, 60 per cent up to day 20 and 50 per cent up to day 30. From day 31 you get nothing.

Is the admission fee refundable?

No. HEC says the admission fee and any fee paid at the application stage are not refundable. The only exception moves your admission fee to another college of the same university if you take admission there in the same programme.

Do weekends count in the refund days?

Yes. HEC's note says the refund timelines include weekends, and the days count from the start of classes.

Does the policy apply to private universities?

Yes. HEC says the policy applies to undergraduate and graduate programmes in public and private institutions, including affiliated colleges, and that it is binding on all of them.

Can I get my security deposit back?

Yes. It is refundable after deductions for any damage or loss, once you finish your studies or withdraw or transfer to another university.

Can I carry my fee to the next semester instead of withdrawing?

Yes, if you ask within two weeks of the semester starting. After that, HEC allows it only on verified medical grounds.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We last checked on 7 October 2026. Every rule above comes from the HEC National Fee Refund Policy, Revised 2024, on hec.gov.pk. We have not tested how any single university applies it, and some universities still publish older HEC schedules, so ask your own university for its written refund schedule. The policy does not state a deadline for the university to pay the refund, so we do not give one.