A coalition of student representatives at the University of Ghana (UG) has called on university management to provide clear justification for what they describe as rapid and significant increases in academic fees for the 2025/2026 academic year.
The concerns follow the release of provisional fee schedules for the College of Humanities, which show notable upward adjustments across both regular and fee-paying undergraduate programmes, including Bachelor of Arts (Humanities), Humanities (Administration/Law), and Post-First Degree Law programmes.
Fee Structure for 2024/2025 Academic Year
For the 2024/2025 academic year, regular Humanities students admitted at Level 100 paid approved academic fees of GHS 2,064, with an additional GHS 255 in third-party charges, bringing the total to GHS 2,319. Continuing students at Levels 200, 300, and 400 paid GHS 1,519 in approved fees plus GHS 255 in third-party charges, totalling GHS 1,774.
However, some Level 200 and 300 Humanities students under a different fee category paid as much as GHS 2,383, inclusive of third-party charges.
For full fee-paying students, Level 100 Humanities entrants paid GHS 5,295, while continuing students paid GHS 4,750. Level 200 and 300 students under the same category paid GHS 5,359. In the Humanities (Administration/Law) programme, Level 100 fee-paying students paid GHS 6,378, inclusive of third-party charges.
New Fee Schedule Signals Further Increases
The provisional fee structure for the 2025/2026 academic year indicates another round of increases across all categories.
Regular Humanities students entering Level 100 are expected to pay GHS 3,110, representing a sharp jump from the previous year. Continuing students at Levels 200, 300, and 400 will pay GHS 2,253, while Level 200 and 300 students under the higher fee category will be charged GHS 3,174.
For fee-paying Humanities students, Level 100 entrants will pay GHS 6,086, continuing students GHS 5,229, and Level 200 and 300 students GHS 6,150. In the Humanities (Administration/Law) programme, Level 100 fee-paying students will pay GHS 7,169, marking a significant rise compared to the previous academic year.
Third-Party Charges Increase Cost Burden
Beyond tuition, students are also required to pay multiple third-party charges, which further compound the overall financial burden. These include:
- SRC Hostel Development Levy – GHS 300
- 75th Anniversary Legacy Project – GHS 100
- SRC Welfare – GHS 50
- Reprographic Fees – GHS 5
- Telecel Data (optional for continuing students)
Student leaders argue that these additional costs significantly inflate the total amount students are required to pay each academic year.
Students Warn of Financial Distress and Dropout Risks
The coalition of student representatives has raised alarm over the potential impact of the fee increases on students and their families, particularly amid prevailing economic challenges.
According to the group, the rapid escalation in tuition and supplementary charges could lead to increased financial distress, delayed registration, deferred studies, and a heightened risk of student dropouts if affordability concerns are not urgently addressed.
They are therefore calling on University of Ghana authorities to engage students transparently and provide clear explanations for the increases, while exploring measures to cushion students from the growing cost of tertiary education.
