Exorbitant hostel fees threaten access to tertiary education

For thousands of Ghanaian students, admission into a tertiary institution marks the beginning of a dream, yet for many, that dream is quickly confronted by a harsh reality: the struggle to secure decent and affordable accommodation.

With limited bed spaces in university halls, students who miss out are pushed into the private hostel market, where rising fees and rents are exerting unbearable pressure on students, parents, and guardians.

What was once a seasonal complaint at the start of the academic year has now escalated into a national concern, with accommodation costs rivalling tuition and other academic expenses as the biggest financial burden on tertiary students.

Government Intervenes
The growing public outcry has compelled government action. In May 2026, the Minister of Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, announced the establishment of a tripartite committee comprising the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and university authorities to investigate the hikes and recommend remedies.

Mr. Iddrisu cautioned that private participation in student housing must not become a vehicle for exploitation, stressing the need for safeguards to protect students and the public interest.

A Crisis Rooted in Shortage
Industry watchers say the soaring charges cannot be divorced from the chronic deficit in on-campus residential facilities amid expanding enrollments.

At the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), for instance, only 70 out of 1,599 students were residents on campus as of May 2026. Government is currently constructing two hostels to house more than 1,200 students, a project that highlights the scale of the deficit.

The story is similar across the country. As demand outstrips supply, particularly at the beginning of each academic year, private operators command premium rates, leaving students with little bargaining power.

When Shelter Undermines Learning
Accommodation has become a major determinant of access, welfare, and academic success. Beyond fees, students must cater for feeding, transport, books, internet, utilities and personal upkeep.

For families sponsoring more than one ward, the burden is crushing. Many students resort to overcrowded rooms to split costs, while others relocate to distant, cheaper communities only to spend more on transport and lose valuable study hours to commuting.

Accommodation, experts argue, is therefore not merely about shelter. It directly affects concentration, lecture attendance, research and overall performance.

Rent Control Steps In
Following appeals from the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), the Rent Control Department has entered the fray. The Acting Rent Commissioner, Mr. Frederick Opoku, disclosed in May that officials had begun nationwide inspections of student hostels to assess facilities against pricing.

He appealed to hostel owners to suspend planned increases pending the assessment and said the Department was moving to register landlords and tenants to build a comprehensive national database of properties, owners, and occupants.

The Department is also engaging the Judicial Service on the establishment of specialized rent courts to expedite prosecution of offenders and strengthen enforcement.

Regulation Must Meet Supply
While regulation is welcome, analysts warn against vilifying private investors who have filled a critical gap. Having invested heavily in land, construction, maintenance, security, staff, and utilities, they are entitled to reasonable returns.

The real challenge, they say, is balancing fair returns with student protection. Price controls without expanded supply could worsen scarcity, leaving students with regulated prices but no rooms to rent.

Ghana must therefore pursue a twin-track strategy: effective regulation alongside aggressive expansion of supply.

Call for National Policy
The government's ongoing hostel projects, including those at UESD, demonstrate recognition of the problem. But stakeholders say such interventions must be scaled up and guided by a comprehensive national student accommodation policy.

The policy should identify institutions with the severest deficits, set clear targets for residential expansion, and promote public-private partnerships under defined standards on pricing, quality, and transparency.

Under such arrangements, credible developers could benefit from access to finance, land, and incentives, while students are assured of fair charges and decent conditions.

Universities, for their part, must maintain updated registers of approved hostels; publish verified information on location, facilities, occupancy, and approved charges; and establish accommodation help desks, especially for fresh students.

Student Representative Councils must engage operators and authorities regularly and report exploitation, while parents are urged to demand receipts and written tenancy agreements and avoid unverified agents.

Beyond No-Fees-Stress
The accommodation debate has gained added urgency under the government's "No-Fees-Stress" policy, which covers academic fees for first-year students in public tertiary institutions. By July 2026, GH¢900.353 million had been disbursed to support 317,841 students.

Yet stakeholders contend that fee relief alone is insufficient. A student who cannot afford a safe place to live remains excluded in practice, no matter the tuition support.

A proposed national digital accommodation platform, built on the Rent Control Department's database and jointly managed with tertiary institutions, could enable students to compare verified hostels on price, facilities, and availability while giving policymakers real-time market data.

The Way Forward
The path forward demands collaboration, not confrontation. Government must scale up investment and enforce rent laws. Universities must expand halls and coordinate better with private operators. Developers must commit to quality at transparent, fair prices.

Ultimately, access to tertiary education goes beyond admission letters. Until every admitted student can secure affordable, decent housing, Ghana's quest for equitable tertiary education will remain incomplete.

Education is an investment in the nation's future, and the cost of a roof over a student's head must not be allowed to undermine it.

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