Today, Monday, 12th January, marks the deadline the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) gave the University of Ghana (UG) to submit proof of compliance after ordering the university to scrap its 25% fee hike and other unapproved charges.

While an official communique has yet to be released by the school, a formal document signed by GTEC’s Director General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, has been released by the tertiary education regulator, indicating the approved fees for the 2025/2026 academic year.

The statement reads, “I write on behalf of the Hon. Minister of Education, communicating the approved fees and charges to be charged by the University of Ghana for the 2025/2026 academic year.”

According to the statement, “Academic Facility User fee to be pegged at the 2024/2025 rate. Student Representative Council (SRC) dues: 50gh. SRC Development Levy: 150gh. Graduate Students (GRASAG) Development levy: 250gh…”

GTEC also mentioned that the Telecel broadband levy, which is pegged at GHS122, should be optional, and students should be properly educated about it so they know they have the right to opt out whenever they deem fit. Also they ordered that 75th Anniversary levy could not be charged beyond this academic year.

“Telecel broadband Levy: 122gh across all levels for undergraduate students, including Freshmen. This should be treated as optional, and students must be properly educated about their right to opt out if they so decide.75th Anniversary levy: 100gh (this fee cannot be charged beyond this academic year)”, the statement continued, expressing hope that “this resolves the issues surrounding the 2025/2026 fee schedule for your institution.”

GTEC's release comes just two days after a high-level stakeholder meeting was convened in Accra, chaired by the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Clement Apaak, with the management of the University of Ghana made up of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Pro VC Prof. Gordon Awandare, Governing Council Chair Marrita Brew, student leaders, and GTEC officials.

The meeting had become necessary following the public outcry, particularly for students and parents, over the fee hikes to secure a legally compliant resolution to a dispute.

According to Dr Apaak, his outfit had to intervene because the outcry was too loud to ignore.

“The level of public outcry from students and parents was such that we couldn’t have ignored it,” Dr Apaak stated.

He emphasised that under the Fees and Charges Act, any adjustment requires Parliamentary approval, a step that was bypassed in this instance.

“Given that we work with laws and there are processes and procedures, the best thing was to instruct GTEC to call the university to stop any increase,” he added.

About the UG fees hike and management response

On January 2, last week, the university announced an over 25% upward adjustment in academic fees. Following the backlash faced by the school, the management, represented by Pro Vice Chancellor Gordon Awandare, attributed the hike to increased third-party fees during an interview with Citi TV.

He said management has limited control over third-party charges included in the overall academic fees.

He explained that these fees are imposed by student leadership bodies, namely the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG), to support their programmes and activities.

According to him, the charges were approved through the students’ own governance structures and communicated to students more than two weeks ago.

“What is being reported as fee increases relates to third-party fees imposed by student leadership. University management did not impose these charges. If students have concerns, they should direct them to their SRC or GRASAG leadership,” he stated.

Professor Awandare further stressed that the university’s core academic fees remain modest and affordable, with no marginal increase, especially when viewed against current economic conditions.

“When you consider fees of about GH¢2,000 for an entire academic year at Ghana’s premier university, it is difficult to describe them as excessive. Utilities and operational costs have risen significantly, yet university fees have largely remained unchanged since 2022. Even students acknowledge that the previous fee levels were no longer sustainable, which is why they adjusted their own components to reflect the cost of running their activities,” he added.

Management maintains that the current adjustments reflect economic realities rather than unilateral decisions by the university.

The increase, according to the document shared by the school management, freshmen of the Humanities College will pay GH¢3,110 for the 2025/26 academic year, representing a 34% hike from the GH¢2,319 charged in the 2024/25 academic year, while continuing students at the college will pay GH¢2,253, marking a 27 percent increase from the previous GH¢1,777.

Similarly, at the University of Ghana School of Law, undergraduate freshers under the College of Humanities will pay GH¢3,226, a 33 percent increase from GH¢2,435 last academic year. Continuing law students will also see their fees rise from GH¢1,890 to GH¢2,396.

Other colleges, including Health Sciences, Basic and Applied Sciences, and Education, have also recorded fee hikes ranging between 25 and 35%.

According to management, one of the major drivers of the hike is a result of an increase in third-party fees. While third-party fees stood at GH¢255 during the 2024/25 academic year, they have increased to GH¢767 for freshmen and GH¢455 for continuing students for the 2025/26 academic year.

A breakdown of these charges includes an SRC Hostel Development Levy of GH¢300, a GH¢100 contribution towards the university’s 75th Anniversary Legacy Project, SRC welfare dues of GH¢50, and reprographic fees of GH¢5. Fresh Level 100 and diploma students are also required to pay GH¢312 for a Telecel data package, while continuing students may opt into a Telecel data and airtime package at GH¢10.22 per month.