University Authorities Deny Increases in Registration Fees

Accra, June 21, GNA - The authorities of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Friday denied media reports that the university has increased registration fees to be charged next academic year.

A statement issued in Accra and signed by the Registrar, Mr G. F. Daniel, said under the directives of the University Council, cost-identification has had to be undertaken as an exercise by the Finance Committee.

The exercise, it said, is an on-going one to identify the various items of costs that go into the training of one student, discipline by discipline.

It said this extends also to a proper determination of what it takes to maintain the university's fabric and physical infrastructure, as well as provision of water, electricity, telephone and other facilities on campus.

It said previously, these various items of costs were fully provided for in the government subvention to the university.

Owing, however, to commitments to other levels of education as well as to health and other social services, government is no longer able to provide fully for the university's needs.

"It has, therefore, become necessary to look to other ways of coming by monies that the university needs to run....".

The statement said the unauthorised release referred to "represents only one set of figures among others generated from a variety of assumptions by that committee", adding that the different figures and their underlying assumptions are yet to be submitted to the University Council.

It said an official release from the university and investigations had established that a member of staff procured for a reporter selected pages from the file on the subject without authorisation or full appreciation of the import.

It said that immediately, the Council's interest is a determination of the shortfall between government subvention and what it costs to run the university.

"When that is done, Council proposes to engage government and others who sponsor students to the university on how to come by the difference.

"It is Council's determination, however, that, in future, the university should not be run on less than its costs, as this ultimately affects the quality of graduate out-put," the statement added.