University of Ghana Fees Increment 2022/2023 Academic Year
The University of Ghana has defended the upward adjustments in its academic user fees for the ensuing academic year beginning January 2023.
Management of the school says “fees charged for the 2022/2023 academic year are legal and duly based on approved fee levels as authorized by Parliament.”But university authorities in a statement emphasized that, “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”.
GTEC ordered tertiary schools to increase prices for the upcoming academic year in all public universities by a maximum of 15% for the 2022–2023 academic year a few weeks ago.
However, certain public tertiary schools are only charging around half the prices as they do now.
The University Students' Association of Ghana (USAG) has already opposed and called callous any attempts to ignore the Parliamentary directive.
Here is UG management’s full justification
ADJUSTMENTS IN ACADEMIC FACILITY USER FEES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
The University of Ghana considers it necessary to clarify the facts and dispel rumors that have been spreading about revisions to the university's academic facility user fees for the 2022–2023 academic year. Based on rates established by Parliament and announced through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the University adjusts its fees (GTEC). We would want to clarify the following in order to avoid confusion and to prevent our students and other stakeholders from being misled:
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 2016/2017 approved fees. On 27th January, 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.
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. On December 13, 2022, the university announced that it would be implementing the approved fees for 2019–2020 as a result of rising operating costs, following completion of all required internal consultations and University Council approval. The statement added that the price schedules released at the time were temporary and that the amounts owed will change if Parliament approved the rates for the academic year 2022/2023.
6. On 21st December, 2022, the University received a letter from GTEC dated 16th December, 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 upwards by 15% based on the gazetted approved fees for the 2019/2020 academic year. Management therefore assures students, parents and all stakeholders that 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 for 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 Students 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 of the University.
TAGS: University of Ghana [UG]
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