Education Minister Orders GTEC To Stop Universities from Increasing Fees

Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to ensure that all public universities immediately stop any unauthorized increase in tuition fees.

The order follows reports that some institutions have arbitrarily raised their fees after the government introduced the “No Fees Stress Policy,” which offers free tertiary education to first-year students and persons with disabilities.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, November 3, 2025, Mr. Iddrisu expressed concern that some universities were exploiting the new policy to justify unnecessary fee hikes.

“My most fulfilling moment as Minister was launching the No Fees Stress Policy. It was a major social intervention by the President,” he said. “But I’ve noticed that some schools are increasing their fees because of the policy. We won’t accept that. GTEC must instruct them not to take advantage of it.”

He emphasized that the government’s goal is to make tertiary education more accessible and affordable, and that all institutions must support this mission rather than undermine it.

In a related development, Mr. Iddrisu revealed that the Ministry of Education is reviewing the policy requiring private universities to obtain a presidential charter within 10 years of operation or face closure.

He explained that the review comes after appeals from several private universities requesting more time to meet the requirements for independence.

This review, the Minister noted, reflects the government’s commitment to supporting private tertiary education and ensuring a fair, sustainable environment for all institutions.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to issue a firm instruction to all public universities to immediately halt any unauthorized hikes in tuition fees.

This comes after reports that some universities had arbitrarily… pic.twitter.com/5BxFQhgWZu

— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) November 3, 2025

Source: Nkonkonsa.com