NLU students protest CLAT application and counselling fees

Students from India's top law universities launched an online petition to demand reforms to the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) Consortium fee structure, calling it exclusionary and inconsistent with the National Education Policy (NEP) in terms of inclusivity.

The letter has been endorsed by Savitribai Intersectional Study Circle at NALSAR, Hyderabad; the NALSAR Student Bar Council; NLS Savitri Phule Ambedkar Caravan (SPAC); NLS Student Bar Association; DNLU Jabalpur Student Council; DSNLU Student Bar Association; and NLIU Bhopal Savitri Phule Ambedkar Caravan (SPAC).

They have urged the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) to revise the application fee of ₹4,000 (₹3,500 for SC/ST applicants) and counselling and confirmation fee of ₹50,000 (₹40,000 for reserved categories).

The current fee structure is a financial and structural barrier that affects student who come from socially and economically disadvantaged groups, the representation states.

With a lack of financial aid infrastructure to support the upfront counselling fees, and financial institutions like banks only releasing educational loans after admissions, the students who secure a seat in the counselling rounds of CLAT face difficulty in retaining it, they say.

The representation thus asks that the counselling and confirmation fee be reduced and made refundable for candidates who withdraw from the admission process.

Since 2023, the CLAT counselling fee structure requires a confirmation fee of ₹20,000 in addition to a ₹30,000 counselling fee. These fees have been asked to be combined in order to reduce it to a one-time payment.

Three CLAT 2025 candidates had filed a petition challenging the fees before the Kerala High Court and were assisted by the Legal Collective for Students' Rights (LCSR). One CLAT 2025 candidate similarly petitioned before the Delhi High Court.

Both cases are listed for further hearing. The Kerala High Court is expected to hear the matter on July 31 and the Delhi High Court has listed the case for September 9.