See why students in Ghana’s public universities may drop out.

The rise in academic user fees for the forthcoming academic year commencing in January 2023 has been defended by the University of Ghana.

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NewsReport gathered that the fees imposed for the 2022-2023 academic year are legal and legitimately based on approved fee levels as allowed by Parliament,” the school’s administration claims.

This comes after the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTECproposed )’s 15% fee increase for all public universities for the academic year 2022–2023 was rejected by the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG). GTEC had instructed tertiary institutions to increase fees for the following academic year by no more than 15%.

According to a statement issued by GRASAG, a rise in university fees will alleviate the situation of economic hardship that has hit the country. GRASAG said some tertiary institutions have released provisional fees above the approved 15% increment, adding that some members of the association are likely to drop out of school over their inability to pay the fees.

But university authorities, in a statement, said “the University of Ghana has adjusted fees for the 2022-2023 academic year upwards by 15% based on the gazetted approved fees for the 2019-2020 academic year.”

Below is the University of Ghana’s justification: Adjustments in Academic Facility User Fees at the University of Ghana The University of Ghana finds it necessary to set the records straight and correct false information being circulated about adjustments to academic facility user fees by the university for the 2022–2023 academic year.

The adjustment of fees by the university is based on rates approved by parliament and communicated through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

For the sake of clarity and to ensure that our students and stakeholders are not misled, we wish to explain that: 1. In the 2019/2020 academic year, public universities, including the University of Ghana, were given approval by Parliament to increase their fees by 5% cumulatively based on the 2016/17 approved fees. On January 27, 2020, the University received the approved and gazetted fees (Ref. RMERD/NTPU/12/19/MDAS/FEES/5) from the Ministry of Finance through the then National Commission of Tertiary Education (NCTE).

This was in the second semester of the 2019–2020 academic year, after the university had already announced fees for that academic year. By this time, it was too late for the university to implement the new fees. 2.

Though the gazetted approved fees for the 2019–2020 academic year were found to be higher than what the university had earlier requested students to pay for the academic year, university management decided to suspend the implementation of the new fees until the 2020–21 academic year.

This was to spare students from a fee increase in the middle of the 2019–2020 academic year. 3. With the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, coupled with its associated challenges, management accepted a plea from the student leadership (SRC and GRASAG) to further suspend the implementation of the parliamentary approved and gazetted fees until the 2021–2022 academic year. 4. In effect, therefore, the University of Ghana charged students subsidized fees for the 2019–2020, 2020–2021, and 2021–2022 academic years rather than the approved rates. 5.

Following all the necessary internal consultations and approval by the University Council, on December 13, 2022, the University announced that, due to the increasing cost of operations, it had become necessary for the University to implement the 2019/2020 approved fees.

The statement also noted that the fee schedules published at the time were provisional and that amounts to be paid would be updated once fees for the 2022–2023 academic year were approved by Parliament. 6.

On December 21, 2022, the University received a letter from GTEC dated December 16, 2022, communicating that Parliament had approved an upward review of academic fees by “…15% of the last approved rates.” 7.

It is important to note that the only previously approved fees were those gazetted in 2019/2020 (Ref. RMERD/NTPU/12/19/MDAS/FEES/5) and not the subsidized rates the University had to implement due, initially, to the late timing of the fee announcement in January 2020, and later by concessions made due to COVID and pleas from student leadership. 8.

In line with this, the University of Ghana has adjusted fees for the 2022–2023 academic year upward by 15% based on the gazetted approved fees for the 2019–2020 academic year.

Management therefore assures students, parents, and all stakeholders that the fees charged for the 2022–2023 academic year are legal and duly based on approved fee levels as authorized by Parliament.

The university recognizes the current difficult economic situation in the country and, as such, has provided flexible fee payment terms for students. For example, students are allowed to register for the first semester upon payment of 50% of their academic facility user fees, with the remaining amount due in the second semester.

Additionally, students with genuine financial difficulties are encouraged to apply to access support through the university’s Student Financial Aid Office. Management operates an open-door policy and has engaged student leadership on these issues. We will continue to dialogue with student leaders, the general student body, parents and guardians, and all stakeholders for a better understanding and appreciation of all matters that concern the welfare of stakeholders at the university.