KNUST Students’ Parliament urges review of fee policy after over 6,000 students defer studies

The KNUST Students’ Parliament House has called on the management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to reconsider the implementation of its Student Credit and Debt Management Policy after more than 6,000 students were reportedly forced to defer their studies over unpaid academic fees.

The appeal follows the university’s announcement on April 20 that the affected students had deferred their programmes after failing to pay their fees within the stipulated period, in line with the policy.

While commending the university for enforcing the policy, the Students’ Parliament described the timing of its implementation as harsh and inconsiderate, arguing that many students were not adequately informed before it took effect.

In a statement issued on April 20, the body said the University Relations Office and other student communication channels failed to properly educate students about the policy and its implications.

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According to the Students’ Parliament, many students only became aware of the policy shortly before it was enforced.

“Except for an impromptu flier with a little portion of the policy captured on it, no extensive measures were taken to address students on this issue,” the statement said.

The group also criticised the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), accusing it of failing to adequately engage students on the new policy.

The Students’ Parliament further attributed the situation to disruptions caused by the strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), which affected the academic calendar earlier in the year.

It argued that the prolonged academic schedule compelled some students, particularly those who finance their own education, to spend money they had intended to use for tuition fees.

“We can’t address this problem without taking into account the disruptions to the academic schedule caused by the UTAG strike, which has caused students to stay and spend longer than they intended before returning to campus,” the statement noted.

The Students’ Parliament appealed to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, to suspend full implementation of the policy until the next academic year, allowing sufficient time to educate students about its requirements.

It expressed confidence that the university’s management would consider extending the implementation period to safeguard students’ welfare and enable those affected to concentrate on their end-of-semester examinations.