2% off of fees is a nice gesture, not required – UG

Management of the University of Ghana has defended its decision to give a one-time discount of 2% on the 15% fee increment for some of its students for the 2022/2023 academic year.

Professor Ransford Gyampo who is a member of the University’s Communication Team said the criticisms of the public regarding the discount are unfair because the University approved the discount based on humanitarian grounds and not an obligation.

There was an impasse between UG Management, student leaders, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) over the 15% increase in fees.

The approved discount covers fee-paying programmes, programmes at the Accra City Campus and distance education programmes.

Giving details on why the discount was approved on Eyewitness News, Prof. Gyampo said: “We were taken to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and the Committee convened a meeting comprising the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), GTEC, and UG Management and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education agreed that we had not charged any illegal fees but also appealed that we reduce the fees for the students especially fee-paying students. So this is purely a kind gesture by the University and not an obligation.”

“This was just a kind gesture purely on humanitarian grounds and not an obligation at all and so the University had the liberty and discretion to use this gesture in the best way it thinks will help students and as I said, these are cohorts of students that are paying higher fees compared to the regular students and so Management and Council decided to give the discount to the fee-paying students,” Prof Gyampo added.