Education Ministry won’t support UG fee increment – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, said the Ministry does not support the fee hikes and has directed that all charges remain at last academic year’s approved levels.

Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Monday, January 5, Dr. Apaak stressed that any attempt to introduce new fees or increase existing ones, whether by university authorities or student leadership bodies, must go through proper consultation and statutory approval processes.

“We do not agree with the 25% fee increment, whether by the SRC or GRASAG,” he stated, adding that fee decisions must not impose undue hardship on students.

He noted that particular attention must be paid to students who are still adjusting to university life, especially those newly admitted. According to him, imposing higher charges at this stage could unfairly disadvantage vulnerable students.

Dr. Apaak further directed that any fees already paid under the new structure should be reversed immediately. “No authorisation has been given for any increment, and all fees must remain as they were,” he said.

The Deputy Minister also asked the University of Ghana to submit evidence showing full compliance with directives issued by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) regarding academic fees.

His comments come against the backdrop of a strong regulatory directive from GTEC ordering the University of Ghana to reverse recent fee increases imposed without the required statutory approvals.

In a letter dated January 5, 2026, and addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, GTEC said it had been informed that the university raised academic fees by about 25 percent and, in some instances, introduced new charges without clearance from the relevant authorities.

“Informed by this, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, by this letter, requests the University of Ghana to do the following,” the letter stated, before outlining corrective measures.

GTEC directed the immediate reversal of all fee increases and ordered that continuing students who have already paid amounts above last academic year’s fees should be credited in the next academic year. For final-year students, any excess payments are to be refunded.

The commission also instructed the university to revert all dues, including SRC and GRASAG charges, to previously approved rates and to suspend newly introduced fees such as the 75th Anniversary dues and the Development Levy, unless they already existed and are pegged to last year’s amounts.

“You are hereby requested to provide GTEC with evidence of compliance not later than January 12, 2026,” the letter warned, cautioning that failure would attract serious regulatory sanctions.

Meanwhile, the University of Ghana has explained that the reported increases for the 2025/2026 academic year are largely linked to third-party charges imposed by the UGSRC rather than fee increments approved by university management.

The issue has sparked weeks of student agitation, with media reports indicating that some first-year students face increases of over 30 percent, while continuing students are paying significantly higher fees than last academic year.