Following a considerable rise in academic expenses for the 2025/2026 academic year, with increases of more than 25% across all colleges, students at the University of Ghana are expressing concern.The provisional timetable of academic fees for the 2025/26 academic year reflects significant upward changes impacting both new and returning students, but the reasons for the dramatic hike have not yet been formally explained by university administration.
According to accepted fees at the College of Humanities, Level 100 students will pay GH¢3,110 for the 2025/26 academic year, which is a 34% rise from the GH¢2,319 charged in the 2024/25 academic year. The price for returning students at the institution will be GH¢2,253, which represents a 27% jump from the prior rate of GH¢1,777.
In the same way, first-year undergraduates in the College of Humanities at the University of Ghana School of Law will pay GH¢3,226, which is a 33% rise over the GH¢2,435 they paid last academic year. The cost for returning law students will also increase, from GH¢1,890 to GH¢2,396.
The fee increases in other faculties, such as Health Sciences, Basic and Applied Sciences, and Education, have likewise been between 25 and 35%. The hikes have sparked concern among students and parents, many of whom claim the changes were made without warning.The new fee system also draws attention to a significant increase in third-party fees, which seems to be a significant factor in the overall rise. Third-party costs have risen from GH¢255 in the 2024/25 academic year to GH¢767 for first-year students and GH¢455 for returning students in the 2025/26 academic year.
These expenses are broken down into a GH¢300 SRC Hostel Development Levy, a GH¢100 donation to the university’s 75th Anniversary Legacy Project, GH¢50 in SRC welfare fees, and GH¢5 in reprographic charges. Newly enrolled diploma and Level 100 students are additionally obliged to pay GHc312 for a Telecel data package, whereas current students have the choice of subscribing to a Telecel data and airtime package for GHc10. 22 per month.
Students are urging university officials to provide a clearer explanation for the unexpected increase in tuition, arguing that it may put more financial burden on students and their families.
