JoSAA Seat Acceptance Fee — Amount, Categories & Payment Process

After every JoSAA round, candidates who are allotted a seat must pay a seat acceptance fee within a short deadline to confirm they want to hold onto that seat and continue in the counselling process (via Freeze, Float, or Slide). This fee is distinct from the institute's actual tuition and hostel fees, which are paid separately at the time of reporting.

The fee amount differs by category — candidates in SC/ST/PwD categories typically pay a lower amount than General/EWS/OBC-NCL candidates. Exact figures change year to year and are published in the JoSAA information brochure, so always check the current year's number on josaa.nic.in rather than assuming a previous year's figure carries over unchanged.

After each round's result is declared, you get a defined window — usually 2-3 days — to pay the seat acceptance fee online through the JoSAA portal using net banking, debit/credit card, or UPI. Missing this window results in automatic cancellation of your allotted seat, with no further recourse in most cases.

Once paid for your first allotment, you do not need to pay it again in later rounds even if you get upgraded via Float or Slide — it is a one-time payment for the counselling cycle, not a per-round fee.

A portion of the seat acceptance fee is adjusted against your institute's tuition fee if you join and continue at the allotted institute. If you withdraw from the process before the withdrawal deadline, the fee is refunded minus a fixed non-refundable processing charge — see our JoSAA refund policy page for the full breakdown.