New twist to Legon school fees increment brouhaha

The management of the University of Ghana (Legon), has announced a decision to maintain the announced school fees for the 2022/2023 academic year, describing the increment as legal.

Parliament had directed an upward review of 15% of the last approved fee for the next academic year.

Students have however protested, saying the announced fee is still above the 15% increment.

But, the Registrar, Mrs Emelia Agyei-Mensah, in a press statement dated January 2, 2023, noted that all fees charged for the year under review are “legal and duly based on approved fee level as authorized by parliament”.

She explained that the mishap dates to 2019/2022 when management failed to implement the 5% approved increment, as the school had already announced fees before receiving the directive of the parliament through the Ministry of Finance and National Commission of Tertiary Education.

Also, due to the COVID outbreak, management further suspended the approved 5% fee increment which was to take effect in the 2021/2022 academic year, rather, they “charged students subsidized fees for 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic years, rather than the approved fees.”

“Following all the necessary internal consultations and approval by the University Council, on 13th December, 2022, the University announced that due to the increasing cost of operations, it had become necessary for the University to implement the 2019/2020 approved fees,” a part of the statement read.

Consequently, students are not paying 15% of their last fees, but a 15% increment plus the staggered 5% rate from the initial 2019/2020 approved fee.

Management says it recognizes the current difficult economic situation in the country, and as such has provided for flexible 50-50 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”.