Students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have raised strong concerns over what they describe as exorbitant private hostel fees, warning that soaring accommodation costs are placing severe financial pressure on students and their families and could affect their education.

Members of the University Hall, popularly known as Katanga, morale group, raised the concerns after performing at the 2026 National Youth Conference organised by the National Youth Authority at KNUST.

The students brandished placards to draw the attention of government and other relevant authorities to the accommodation crisis confronting students.

The placards carried messages including “Reduce hostel fees now!”, “We came to learn, not to sleep, #Reduce hostel prices,” and “Hostel fees are now more expensive than our school fees, why? #KNUST students deserve better.”

Speaking on behalf of the students, the morale group leader, Obrane, a final-year Agricultural Engineering student, said the high cost of private accommodation was placing an enormous financial burden on both students and their parents.

“Everybody wants their children to enrol in university; if the hostel prices are more expensive than the university school fees, then it's unfortunate,” he said.

Obrane also expressed concern that private hostel owners were allegedly disregarding regulatory guidance despite interventions by the Rent Control Department.

“The hostel owners want to exhibit that their power supersedes the government... We came to school to learn and not to sleep,” he said, while appealing to the media to highlight the difficulties students were facing.

The concerns prompted an immediate response from the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, who pledged government intervention to address the rising accommodation costs.

“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,” Mr Opare Addo said.

He stressed the need for private hostel operators to comply with the laws governing accommodation and rent in the country.

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

Mr Opare Addo further disclosed that the Ministry of Education was actively negotiating with private developers to construct affordable on-campus accommodation for students as part of efforts to address the accommodation challenges confronting tertiary institutions.

He said the initiative formed part of government's broader policy agenda to expand student accommodation across tertiary institutions and ensure that students have access to affordable places to stay.

“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 said.

The Minister also reiterated government's commitment to its “Bed for All” policy, which seeks to increase the availability of accommodation for students across tertiary institutions.

“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.