KNUST gives one month window to fee-owing students

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has given one month moratorium to some students who had their courses deferred over unpaid fees.

This was after an emergency meeting between the Minister of Education Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum and the university's authorities was held on Friday, April 22, 2022.

The Management of KNUST after the meeting gave the over 6,000 deferred students another lifeline to continue their courses with a grace period to pay at least 70 percent of their arrears before the final registration of their courses.

The university on Wednesday, April 20, 3022 announced that about 6000 students have been compelled to defer their courses due to their inability to pay their fees.

According to the University Relations Officer, Dr Daniel Norris Bekoe, students have channeled the fees to sports betting and other ventures such as Uber business to generate income.

“We [KNUST] are a human institution and we have been listening to the pleas of many stakeholders”, the University said.

“If a student pays up, management is ready to look at it. So, those who have paid 70 per cent have gone ahead to register for their courses. Definitely, we are not interested in getting students out of the university but we have bills to pay”, Dr Bekoe said.

The university announced that students who owed more than 70 per cent of their school fees were to automatically defer their courses by 7 April 2022.

Having been allowed to sit for their mid-semester exam which started on 11 April 2022, students who still owe after the first week of the exam were forced to defer their courses.

The University Relations Officer, Dr Daniel Norris Bekoe, said on Wednesday, 20 April that there was the need to “apply the fees policy this year which has been approved by the academic board. It is required that as an undergraduate student you must register your courses at the beginning of the semester and pay 70%.”

After the three-month window (February to April) for students to fully pay up their arrears, Dr Bekoe said, “A number of students are playing games with the University.”