The new fee, set at ¢2,500 (approximately USD 560), has sparked public outcry, with many questioning the significant increase.
The University of Ghana School of Law (UGSoL) is facing criticism after raising the admission processing fee for its Post-First Degree LL.B (PFD-LLB) programme.
The new fee, set at ¢2,500 (approximately USD 560), has sparked public outcry, with many questioning the significant increase.
In response, UGSoL issued a statement clarifying the reasons behind the fee hike. They emphasise that the fee covers the entire admissions process, including entrance examinations and interviews, and argue that it is "essential to ensure a fair and thorough selection process" due to rising administrative costs.
" We acknowledge that the communication of the fee change was not clear enough and may have caused inconvenience, especially for applicants who had already budgeted based on the initial fee of GHS 500 for the Examinations," they added in the new update posted on the University's website.
The University further stated its commitment to affordable education, pointing out that undergraduate tuition fees remain low, compared to international standards. They justify the higher fees for the PFD-LLB programme by citing the unique resources and structures required for the programme.
"UGSoL has one of the lowest undergraduate tuition fees anywhere in the world, currently below GHS 2,500 for an entire year for SHS entrants," the statement added.
The fee breakdown provided by UGSoL details three separate components. They are a voucher fee increase from ¢220 to ¢650 (applicants who already paid the lower fee are exempt from the additional payment), an examination fee increase from ¢500 to GH¢ 1,000, attributed to the costs of organising in-person exams and materials. They also mentioned a newly introduced interview fee of GH¢ 850, which will only be applicable to candidates who pass the entrance examination.
The University acknowledges shortcomings in their initial communication regarding the fee change, potentially causing inconvenience for applicants who budgeted based on the previous fee structure and apologises for any trouble this may have caused.
