Education Ministry steps in for dialogue as UG, GTEC clash over fee increment

The Education Ministry has stepped in to halt recent University of Ghana fee increases and open dialogue after strong public backlash and concerns over compliance with the Fees and Charges Act.

Deputy Minister for Education Dr. Clement Apaak disclosed on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News that the intervention followed instructions from the Education Minister to engage the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) over reports of a 25 percent increment in academic fees.

“Over the weekend, the Minister instructed me to get in touch with GTEC to understand the 25% increment in academic fees,” Dr. Apaak said. He explained that the Ministry subsequently took note of public explanations issued by the University of Ghana through its Pro Vice-Chancellor, as well as a statement from the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), which attributed the changes to third-party fees.

Despite those explanations, Dr. Apaak stressed that the legal framework governing fee approvals could not be overlooked. “Given that we work with laws and there are processes and procedures, and the fact that Parliament had not granted an increase through the Fees and Charges Act, we thought that the best thing was to instruct GTEC to call the university to stay any increase,” he stated.

He said the scale of dissatisfaction among students and parents made government action unavoidable. “The level of public outcry from students and parents was such that we couldn’t have ignored it,” Dr. Apaak added, noting that he has been tasked to engage the University of Ghana, student leaders, and GTEC “to look at something that will be acceptable.”

Earlier on the programme, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare, insisted the disputed charges were not management-imposed academic fees.

“What is in the report is about third-party fees which were imposed by the student leadership,” he said, pointing to SRC and GRASSAG approvals through their own governance channels.

He questioned the intensity of the backlash, arguing that the fees, about GH¢2,000, were modest given rising operational costs.

“Utilities just went up yesterday. How do we expect the university to manage with those fee,s which were fixed in 2022?” Prof. Awandare asked, adding that student leaders themselves recognised the need for adjustments.

GTEC, however, has directed the University of Ghana to reverse all increases immediately. In a January 5, 2026 letter to the Vice-Chancellor, the Commission ordered refunds for final-year students who overpaid, credits for continuing students, and a reversion of all dues, including SRC and GRASSAG charges, to last academic year’s approved rates.

It also suspended newly introduced fees and warned of regulatory sanctions if compliance is not demonstrated by January 12.

The directive follows weeks of student agitation, with reports indicating increases of up to 34 percent for some first-year students, intensifying pressure for a negotiated resolution.