Universities charging above 15% fee increment will be punished – Education Ministry

The Ministry of Education has assured that public tertiary institutions charging above the 15 per cent approved fee increment by Parliament will be punished.

The ministry said fees are approved by Parliament, and universities cannot determine what they want to charge the students on their own.

The response from the ministry comes after the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) raised red flags over some public universities charging above the approved 15 per cent fee increment for the 2022-2023 academic year.

NUGS has subsequently petitioned some relevant state institutions, including Parliament, to address their concerns.

Commenting on the issue, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng, said any university found charging above the approved fee will face the law.

“I am saying that whenever we have an official complaint as a ministry that any university has charged more than what Parliament approves, of course, you don’t need Kwesi Kwarteng to confirm this because the law is clear. The legal framework and provision upon which the Appropriation and subsequent approval of fees are done, if you go beyond, that’s completely illegality. The necessary action ought to be taken, and of course, we will take the necessary action within the framework of the law.

“The universities are expected to comply. So far as GTEC and the ministry are concerned, it is the 15 per cent increment fees of last year that the universities are supposed to charge. And so far, we are aware that is what they are charging, but there are institutions that might flout the GTEC directives,” Mr Kwarteng stated on Starr News.

He added: “In this country, everything works within the framework of the law, and there is a legal framework that regulates when it comes to the charging of fees by various universities and all tertiary institutions. Particularly those within the public universities space, and so the Fees and Charges Act, for instance, regulates such mandates and provides for the procedures and processes of which the Universities may propose the fees.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has reiterated its directive to tertiary institutions to review fees for the next academic year by a maximum 15 per cent increment. 

The directive follows numerous complaints that some universities are charging more than the 15% Rate Approved by Parliament, hence the intervention by GTEC.

“This is to kindly remind all public tertiary institutions to abide strictly by the approval given. Any increases above the approved rate shall be in direct contravention of the fees and charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022 (Act 1080) and likely to attract sanctions from the Parliament of Ghana,” GTEC said in a statement.

GTEC has also asked the institutions to accept a 50% part payment of fees to enable prospective students to register for their courses at the beginning of the 2023 academic year to continue their education.

“We advise the management of the institutions to consider accepting a 50% part-payment of fees to enable the student to register at the beginning of the year, with a specific payment plan agreed for the balance to be paid, based on individual circumstances,” it added.

The 50% part payment plan, according to GTEC, is to provide flexible payment terms and reduces fee-default rates amongst tertiary institution students with genuine financial challenges.