Ahmedabad: Starting September 1, private schools in Gujarat that charge fees lower than the slabs set under the state’s fee regulation law will be required to file online affidavits. The state education department has instructed over 11,000 schools to complete the process within two months.

Schools that wish to charge fees higher than the prescribed slabs must submit separate applications to the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC). The law, introduced in 2017, requires schools to seek approval from zonal FRCs for any fee hike. After review, the committee fixes the fee structure for three years. While schools charging below the slab need to submit an affidavit confirming their fees, those seeking higher fees must provide detailed applications with documents for scrutiny. At present, nearly 91% of private schools charge below the slabs.