UG students raise alarm over 25%fee hikes for 2025/26 academic year

Students of the University of Ghana have raised concerns over a sharp increase in academic fees for the 2025/2026 academic year, with increments of more than 25 per cent recorded across all colleges. 

The university’s management is yet to officially communicate the reasons for the adjustments, however, a provisional schedule of fees released for the 2025/26 academic year indicates significant upward revisions affecting both fresh and continuing students.

At the College of Humanities, Level 100 students are expected to pay GH¢3,110, representing a 34 per cent increase from the GH¢2,319 charged in the 2024/25 academic year. Continuing students at the college will pay GH¢2,253, up from GH¢1,777, reflecting a 27 per cent rise.

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Similarly, undergraduate freshmen at the University of Ghana School of Law, under the College of Humanities, will pay GH¢3,226 for the new academic year, a 33 per cent increase from GH¢2,435 previously. Fees for continuing law students have also gone up from GH¢1,890 to GH¢2,396.

Other colleges, including Health Sciences, Basic and Applied Sciences, and Education, have recorded fee increases ranging between 25 and 35 percent. The hikes have sparked agitation among students and parents, many of whom say the changes were introduced without adequate prior notice.

The revised fee structure also shows a steep rise in third-party charges, which students say significantly contribute to the overall increase. Third-party fees have jumped from GH¢255 in the 2024/25 academic year to GH¢767 for freshmen and GH¢455 for continuing students in 2025/26.

A breakdown of these charges includes an SRC Hostel Development Levy of GH¢300, a GH¢100 contribution towards the University’s 75th Anniversary Legacy Project, SRC welfare dues of GH¢50, and reprographic fees of GH¢5.

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Fresh Level 100 and diploma students are also required to pay GH¢312 for a Telecel data package, while continuing students may opt into a Telecel data and airtime package at GH¢10.22 per month.

As reported by citinews, students have called on university authorities to offer clearer explanations for the sudden fee hikes, warning that the increases could place additional financial pressure on students and their families.