Pune: SPPU Announces Free Education, Dedicated Hostel Rooms For Transgender Students
Pune, 11th July 2026: In a move aimed at making higher education more inclusive, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has announced that transgender students will be exempt from paying tuition fees for all university programmes and will be provided dedicated hostel accommodation on campus.
The university has reserved four hostel rooms — two each in the boys’ and girls’ hostels — with the capacity to accommodate up to 16 transgender students. Officials said the initiative is intended to address financial barriers and the lack of safe housing, two factors that often force transgender students to discontinue their education.
“We have decided to offer free education to transgender students across all university courses to help them become self-reliant. No student should have to abandon education because of financial constraints or the absence of accommodation,” said Prafull Pawar, officiating registrar of SPPU.
Sonia Nagarale, chief hostel warden, said the dedicated hostel rooms have been earmarked to provide transgender students with a safe and supportive living environment, enabling them to pursue their studies without disruption.
University officials said the decision was taken after recognising that many transgender students face exclusion from their families, economic hardship and difficulties in securing safe accommodation, all of which affect access to higher education.
