The University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) has expressed displeasure with the increment in the fees of public universities for the 2022/2023 academic year.
USAG has bemoaned students cannot adequately prepare to meet up with the new fees, considering the few weeks they have to resume academic activities.
Parliament recently approved a 15% maximum increment in university fees from the previous academic year.
On the back of this, some universities have released provisional fees for the next academic year with very high percentage increments; a development USAG is not satisfied with.
But to USAG, the announcement by the institutions is an error.
In a statement, the association lamented the recent astronomical hikes in fees which will make access to education become increasingly difficult.
“The procedure for approval of Public University fees is very clear, and this approval does not stop at Management or at University Councils. Our universities are supposed to send their proposed fees to Parliament through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and the Ministry of Finance. Subject to the passing of the recent Fees and Charges Act, of 2022, the final approving authority is not the university management but Parliament.
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“Our biggest concern with this release is on how short the notice on the payment has come, and how difficult it will be for most of our students to continue their education,” the statement read in parts.
The association further raised concerns over how students who rely on the Students Loan Trust Fund and GETFund will be able to meet up with the increment as the 2023 budget contains a 39% slash for Loan Trust Fund and GETFund, on the other hand, has over the years underfunded public universities.
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