The University of Ghana made adjustments to Academic Facility User Fees for the 2022/2023 academic year based on rates approved by Parliament and communicated through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The University had earlier charged students subsidized fees for the 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic years, rather than the approved rates for these academic years. The subsidized fees were in the first instance because in the 2019/2020 academic year, University Management decided to suspend the implementation of the new fees until the 2020/2021 academic year. This was to spare students from a fee increase in the middle of the academic year.
With the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, and its associated challenges, Management accepted a plea from student leadership to further suspend the implementation of the parliamentary approved and gazetted fees until the 2021/2022 academic year.
In spite of these, there have been allegations that the University charged illegal fees for the 2022/2023 academic year.
The University’s Governing Council met on 16th January 2023 to deliberate on the matter and the request from the honorable Minister of Education for a 15% increase on fees approved by Parliament. Council established that UG had indeed already complied with the Fees and Charges Act, 2022 (Act 1080), by charging the approved 15 % increase of fees over the fees approved by Parliament.
In addition, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education convened a meeting on February 9, 2023, with representatives from UG Management and UG student leaders, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the Ministry of Education, to deliberate on the matter.
At the meeting, after listening to all parties, the Parliamentary Select Committee established that UG had indeed complied with Act 1080 and that the allegations of charging illegal fees for the 2022/2023 academic year were false.
The University has since received formal communication from the Parliamentary Select Committee confirming that UG fees for the 2022/2023 academic year are legal, and based on the level of fees as approved by Parliament.
The Select Committee appealed to UG to consider offering a discount on fees for the current academic year to lessen the burden on students, and this request will accordingly be brought to the attention of the University Council to be deliberated upon.
Emelia Agyei-Mensah (Mrs.)
REGISTRAR
