Indecopi fines UCV S/19,195 for student debt due to payment change

Peru's National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) has fined Universidad César Vallejo (UCV) S/19,195 (approximately 3.49 tax units) for failing to provide timely information to a student regarding their enrollment fees.

The case involved a student who paid S/1,757.57 for their academic semester. However, the university later informed the student that due to enrolling in 11 credits instead of 12 or more, a different payment modality would apply. This change resulted in an additional debt of over S/220, increasing the total cost to S/1,980.

Indecopi determined that UCV violated its duty to inform by communicating the change in payment terms after the enrollment process. Although the university claimed the information was available on its institutional platform, student guide, and transparency portal, Indecopi found that the economic consequences of enrolling with fewer than 12 credits were not communicated clearly, sufficiently, or promptly during registration.

As a corrective measure, Indecopi ordered UCV to annul the additional charge of S/222.43 applied to the student for the 2025-I semester and to refund the amount if it has already been paid. The university will also be inscribed in Indecopi's Registry of Infractions and Sanctions once the resolution becomes final.