The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed the University of Ghana to immediately reverse all fee increases introduced for the 2025/2026 academic year, warning that failure to comply will attract serious regulatory sanctions.
In a letter dated January 5, 2026, and addressed to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, GTEC said it had become aware that the university had increased fees by as much as 25 percent and, in some cases, introduced new charges without the required approvals.
GTEC reminded the university that it had earlier, in a letter dated November 3, 2025, explicitly directed all publicly funded tertiary institutions not to implement any fee increases for the 2025/2026 academic year without parliamentary approval, in line with the Fees and Charges Act.
Despite this directive, the commission said the University of Ghana proceeded to adjust fees and introduce new levies without authorization from the relevant authorities.
As a result, GTEC has instructed the university to immediately reverse all fee increases and charges to their 2024/2025 academic year levels. The commission further directed the university to credit continuing students who have already paid more than last academic year’s fees, while final-year students who have overpaid are to be refunded the difference.
The university has also been ordered to revert all dues, including SRC and GRASSAG dues, to their previous rates and to suspend the implementation of any newly introduced fees, such as the 75th Anniversary dues and Development Levy, unless they were already in existence.
GTEC has given the University of Ghana up to January 12, 2026, to provide evidence of full compliance with the directives. The commission cautioned that any failure to comply will result in “serious regulatory sanctions.”
The letter further stated that any variation from the directive must receive explicit written authorization from the Minister for Education. The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has been designated as the liaison between the Ministry of Education and the University of Ghana on the matter.
In its earlier November 3, 2025 circular to all public universities, GTEC reminded vice-chancellors that new or revised fees for the 2025/2026 academic year could not be implemented without prior approval from Parliament, stressing the need for strict adherence to statutory procedures to avoid disruptions in fee implementation.
The directive has been copied to the Minister and Deputy Minister for Education, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, the Auditor-General, and the Vice-Chancellors Ghana (VCG), among other key stakeholders.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
