GTEC Directs Ghanaian Public Universities to Halt Unapproved Fee Hikes for 2025/2026 Academic Year

GTEC Enforces Fee Regulation Amidst Parliamentary Scrutiny

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has mandated all public universities in Ghana to maintain their current student fees for the upcoming 2025/2026 academic year. This directive, issued in a circular dated November 3, 2025, explicitly prohibits institutions from implementing any new or revised fees without obtaining prior approval from Parliament, as stipulated by law.

The regulatory body's action comes in response to a history of public tertiary education institutions reviewing student fees without adhering to proper procedures, a practice that GTEC noted has led to 'implementation difficulties' and 'student unrest'. The Commission emphasized the necessity of complying with the Fees and Charges Act, which governs how public entities, including universities, determine and adjust their charges.

Ministerial Concerns Prompt GTEC's Intervention

The directive from GTEC follows a strong instruction from Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu. Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Monday, November 3, 2025, Minister Iddrisu expressed significant concern over the 'dire increase of unapproved tuitions' by public universities. He highlighted reports of some institutions exploiting the government's 'No Fees Stress Policy'—which provides free tertiary education for first-year students and persons with disabilities—to impose unjustified fee hikes.

Minister Iddrisu urged GTEC to take immediate action to curb such practices, reaffirming the government's commitment to ensuring equitable access to tertiary education and easing the financial burden on students and families. He warned institutions against taking advantage of the policy, stressing that unauthorized fee increases would not be accepted.

Details of the Directive and Compliance Measures

The circular, signed by Dr. Emmanuel Oware Nyarko, Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance, on behalf of the Director-General, was addressed to the Vice Chancellors of traditional and technical universities across the country. It explicitly reminded them to 'maintain the current student fees and only implement the revised fees for the 2025/2026 academic year after obtaining approval from Parliament'.

Copies of the directive were also sent to key stakeholders, including the Minister for Education, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, and the Vice-Chancellors of Ghana (VCG). This broad distribution underscores GTEC's commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in tertiary education financing and institutional compliance with national financial regulations.

Precedent Set with Colleges of Education

This is not the first instance of GTEC intervening in proposed fee adjustments for the upcoming academic year. In October 2025, GTEC directed all public Colleges of Education to suspend the implementation of new fees proposed for the 2025/2026 academic year. That directive also cited the need for parliamentary approval and followed growing public concern over reported fee hikes, indicating a consistent stance by the regulatory body on fee increment procedures.