A coalition of student representatives is demanding answers from the University of Ghana over what they describe as sharp and sudden increases in academic fees for the 2025/2026 academic year. According to the group, the new figures raise serious affordability concerns, especially for students under the College of Humanities.
Preliminary fee schedules released for the coming academic year show noticeable increases across both regular and fee-paying programmes. Affected courses include Bachelor of Arts (Humanities), Humanities (Administration/Law), and Post-First Degree Law programmes. Student leaders say the pace of the increments has raised eyebrows and left many families unprepared.
Looking back at the 2024/2025 academic year, regular Humanities students entering Level 100 paid GHS 2,064 in approved academic fees. With third-party charges added, the total amount came to GHS 2,319. Continuing students in Levels 200, 300, and 400 paid GHS 1,519 in tuition, plus GHS 255 in additional charges, bringing their total to GHS 1,774.
However, not all continuing students paid the same amount. Some Level 200 and 300 Humanities students placed in a different fee category ended up paying as much as GHS 2,383 after third-party charges were applied.
For full fee-paying students in the 2024/2025 academic year, Level 100 Humanities entrants paid GHS 5,295, while continuing students paid GHS 4,750. Students in Levels 200 and 300 paid GHS 5,359 under the same structure. In the Humanities (Administration/Law) category, Level 100 fee-paying students paid up to GHS 6,378, inclusive of third-party charges.
The situation appears set to worsen in the 2025/2026 academic year. Under the new fee structure, Level 100 regular Humanities students are expected to pay GHS 3,110, a significant jump from the previous year. Continuing students at Levels 200, 300, and 400 will pay GHS 2,253, while Level 200 and 300 students classified under a separate category will pay GHS 3,174.
Fee-paying students will also feel the increase. Level 100 Humanities students in the 2025/2026 academic year are expected to pay GHS 6,086. Continuing students will pay GHS 5,229, and Level 200 and 300 students will be charged GHS 6,150. In the Administration and Law fee-paying programmes, Level 100 students will pay as high as GHS 7,169.
Beyond tuition, students are also required to pay several additional charges, which many say quietly inflate the overall cost of education. These include a GHS 300 SRC Hostel Development Levy, a GHS 100 75th Anniversary Legacy Project fee, GHS 50 for SRC Welfare, and a GHS 5 reprographic fee. Continuing students may also be required to pay for Telecel data, which, although described as optional, has become almost essential for academic work.
Student leaders say the combination of higher tuition and mounting supplementary charges is placing enormous pressure on households already struggling with the cost of living. They warn that if the issue is not addressed urgently, more students could face delayed registration, deferred studies, or even drop out altogether.
The coalition is calling on university authorities to provide clear explanations and engage students openly, as concerns grow over the rising cost of tertiary education and its long-term impact on access and retention.
