In the wake of a standoff between student leaders and university management, the Ministry of Education has officially intervened to halt any upward adjustment of academic fees at the University of Ghana (UG) for the 2025/2026 academic year.
In a decisive move to protect students from rising educational costs, the Ministry announced on Monday, January 12, 2026, that the Academic Facility User Fee (AUFF) will be maintained at the 2024/2025 rates.
This directive follows a crunch meeting held on January 8, which brought together the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the UG University Council, university management, and student representative bodies.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, who chaired the mediation, explained that the intervention was necessary to ensure that fees remain within the statutory limits approved by Parliament.
In a press statement, Dr. Apaak detailed the specific financial framework mandated for the current academic cycle. He noted that the meeting was a collaborative effort to find a sustainable middle ground. “GTEC [was] directed to communicate the below fees and charges by the University of Ghana for the 2025/2026 academic year,” Dr. Apaak stated, adding that the Academic Facility User Fee must “remain at the 2024/2025 rate”.
Approved 2025/2026 Charges at University of Ghana
While the core academic fees remain frozen, the ministry has authorised specific levies for student-led projects and university celebrations.
Notably, the controversial broadband levy has been made optional.
| Charge Item | Amount (GH¢) | Applicability |
| Academic Facility User Fee | Frozen | Same as 2024/2025 Rates |
| SRC Dues | 50 | All Undergraduates |
| SRC Development Levy | 150 | All Undergraduates |
| GRASAG Development Levy | 250 | All Graduate Students |
| Telecel Broadband Levy | 122 | Optional (Must inform students to opt out) |
| 75th Anniversary Levy | 100 | One-time fee for 2025/2026 only |
One of the most debated items on the bill—the GH¢122 Telecel Broadband Levy—is now subject to strict transparency rules.
The ministry has directed that this fee is not mandatory for undergraduate students.
The directive explicitly states that students must be proactively informed of their right to opt out of the service if they do not wish to utilize the provided campus broadband. This move follows complaints from students who argued they were being charged for data services they did not use.
The ministry was careful to note that this specific fee structure is a localised resolution and does not set a precedent for other institutions.
The directives apply exclusively to the University of Ghana and cannot be adopted or replicated by other public tertiary institutions without similar regulatory oversight.
Looking beyond the current crisis, the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has moved to formalise how university fees are adjusted across the country. He has established a permanent Fee Review Committee, chaired by the GTEC leadership.
This committee will serve as a mandatory filter, assessing all future fee adjustment proposals from public universities.
Once reviewed, the committee will recommend the adjustments to Parliament for final statutory approval, ensuring that no university unilaterally increases fees beyond the reach of the average Ghanaian family.
