KNUST Students Protest High Hostel Fees, Demand Government Action

Students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have called for urgent government intervention over what they describe as exorbitant private hostel fees.

The students, members of the University Hall (Katanga) Morale Group, raised the concerns after performing at the 2026 National Youth Conference organised by the National Youth Authority (NYA) at KNUST.

They used placards to draw attention to the rising cost of accommodation and its impact on students and their parents.

Among the messages displayed on the placards were “Reduce Hostel Fees Now!”, “We Came to Learn, Not to Sleep” and “Hostel Fees Are Now More Expensive Than Our School Fees, Why? #KNUSTStudentsDeserveBetter.”

Speaking on behalf of the students, the leader of the morale group, Obrane, a final-year Agricultural Engineering student, said the high hostel charges were placing significant financial pressure on students and their families.

According to him, although the Rent Control Department had taken steps to address the issue, some private hostel operators had continued to charge what students consider excessive fees.

“Everybody wants their children to enrol in university. If the hostel prices are more expensive than the university school fees, then it is unfortunate,” Obrane said.

He appealed to the media to highlight the concerns of students and help push the authorities to take action.

“The hostel owners want to exhibit that their power supersedes the government. We came to school to learn and not to sleep,” he lamented.

Government Responds

The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, assured the students that government would intervene to address the rising cost of accommodation.

He said he would engage the Minister for Education and the relevant authorities responsible for rent regulation to find a lasting solution to the problem.

“I want to assure them that, as Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, I will take up this issue with the Minister for Education and the appropriate authorities that are responsible for controlling rent in this country,” he stated.

Mr Opare Addo stressed that Ghana was a country governed by laws and that private hostel operators must comply with the regulations governing rent.

“We are a country of laws, and we must allow our laws to work. No single individual is bigger or greater than the laws of this country,” he said.

The Minister also disclosed that the Ministry of Education was engaging private developers to construct affordable accommodation facilities on university campuses.

He said the initiative formed part of government’s broader efforts to address the shortage of student accommodation across tertiary institutions.

“We will have the necessary conversations with owners of hostels and make sure that prices are reasonable for the dear students of this country,” he assured.

Mr Opare Addo further reaffirmed government’s commitment to the “Bed for All” agenda, which seeks to increase the availability of accommodation for students on tertiary campuses.

“As part of our manifesto promise, we promised the ‘Bed for All’ agenda, so we will continue to pursue it and make sure that there are more than enough beds for students on campuses,” he added.