The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to issue a firm instruction to all public universities to halt any unauthorised increase in tuition fees.
The directive follows reports that some universities have arbitrarily raised their fees after the government announced the “No Fees Stress Policy,” which provides free tertiary education for first-year students and persons with disabilities.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Monday, November 3, 2025, Mr. Iddrisu expressed concern that some institutions were exploiting the new policy to impose unjustified fee adjustments.
“Believe me, my most impactful launch as a minister was when the No Fees Stress Policy was launched; I had a good sleep because this was an impactful social intervention of the President,” he said.
“Many of you MPs sitting here know how much you spend on paying school fees when the period comes. But this is to send a caution — GTEC is here. I have seen some schools increasing their fees because the government said it is absorbing them. We will not accept that. So make sure you issue consequential instructions to schools not to take advantage of that,” he added.
Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to tertiary education, stressing that institutions must align with the administration’s goal of easing the financial burden on students and families.
In a related development, the minister disclosed that the Ministry of Education is reviewing the policy that mandates the closure of private universities that fail to obtain a presidential charter within 10 years of establishment.
He explained that the review is in response to appeals from some private institutions that have requested additional time to fully prepare for independent operation.
