By Zobia Zulfqar 
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Education has expressed concern over the high fees charged by universities offering distance education programmes, calling for a review to ensure the cost of higher education remains affordable for working adults and other non-traditional students.
During a working visit to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) headquarters in Accra, members of the committee questioned why distance learning programmes have become significantly more expensive than regular on-campus courses.
Speaking during the engagement, committee member Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah described the current fee structure as worrying and urged GTEC to investigate the growing disparity.
According to him, distance education was introduced to make tertiary education more accessible to people who could not attend traditional classroom programmes because of work, family commitments or other personal circumstances. However, he said the increasing cost of these programmes appears to be undermining that objective.
“The fees charged for distance programmes are too high,” Dr. Asamoah stated. “In many other countries, distance education is more affordable than regular programmes, but in Ghana the opposite appears to be happening.”
He called on GTEC to examine the issue and engage universities on ways to make distance education more affordable for prospective students.
The Parliamentary delegation was led by the Chairman of the Select Committee on Education, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, and included Vice Chairman Joseph Kwame Kumah, Ranking Member Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, Edem R. K. Kpolosu, Professor Nyako and Abdul-Fatawu Alhassan.
The visit formed part of the committee’s efforts to familiarise itself with the operations of GTEC while engaging the commission on key challenges affecting Ghana’s tertiary education sector.
Several members of the committee shared concerns over the pricing of distance learning programmes, suggesting that some institutions may be taking advantage of increasing demand for flexible education.
They argued that universities should not use distance education primarily as a revenue-generating venture at the expense of students seeking affordable opportunities to improve their qualifications.
Committee members warned that if the trend continues, many qualified applicants could be discouraged from pursuing higher education because of financial constraints.
The lawmakers stressed that expanding access to tertiary education should remain the primary objective of distance learning programmes rather than generating additional income for institutions.
Beyond tuition fees, the committee also discussed the relevance of academic programmes offered by some universities.
Ranking Member Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum expressed concern that certain degree programmes do not adequately prepare graduates for available employment opportunities.
He encouraged GTEC to work with development partners to introduce programme ranking systems that assess the relevance and quality of courses offered by tertiary institutions.
According to Dr. Adutwum, such rankings would provide students and parents with useful information when choosing academic programmes while encouraging universities to align their courses with the needs of the labour market.
He noted that strengthening quality assurance across Ghana’s tertiary education system would improve graduate employability and support national development.
The committee’s visit reflects Parliament’s growing interest in ensuring that higher education remains accessible, affordable and responsive to the country’s workforce demands.
With enrolment in distance education continuing to grow, lawmakers believe closer oversight of programme quality and tuition fees will be essential to protecting students and maintaining confidence in Ghana’s tertiary education system.