The Board of Governors of the All Nations University College (ANUC) at Koforidua, has explained that the recent adjustment in fees was not meant to deny its students access to higher education. It said the upward adjustment in the tuition fees was to enable the institution to provide quality higher education to the students. The 9.09 percent tuition fee increase, the Board of Governors stated, was the first in three years but it still made the university fees the lowest on the market. A press release signed by the President of ANUC, Dr Samuel Donkor, said the increment had "become necessary due to the current economic realities and the high cost associated with the delivery of quality higher education". It pointed out that the ANUC would continue to provide affordable quality higher education to give access to the average Ghanaian and other foreign nationals. "Anyone who wishes can survey the market for the cost of higher education in these times", the statement added. Giving details of the increment in tuition fees scheduled for the current semester for the various programmes offered by the university, the statement indicated that while under the Business Administration, Ghanaian students would now pay GH¢600, international student's would pay US$1,100, while the weekend students would pay GH¢400 per trimester. With regards to Computer Science, Ghanaian students would pay GH¢600; international students US$1,100 and weekend students GH¢400 per trimester, while under Biomedical Engineering, Ghanaian students would pay GH¢690, international students US$1,300 and GH¢4600 for weekend students per trimester. The statement added that Ghanaian students pursuing Computer Engineering were to pay GH¢690, their international counterparts, US$1,300 while the weekend students were to GH¢460 per trimester. Under Electronics and Communication Engineering, it said Ghanaian students were being charged GH¢690, international students US$1,300 and weekend students GH¢460 per trimester. For the Oil and Gas Engineering, Ghanaian students would have to pay GH¢1,300, international students US$1,800 and GH¢797 per trimester for weekend students. With regard to Biblical Studies with a minor in business, Ghanaian students would pay GH¢450, international students US$600 and GH¢234 for weekend students per trimester, while under the diploma in Biblical Studies, Ghanaian students were to pay GH¢350, international students US$500 and weekend students GH¢234 for trimester. "For the Foundations programme, Ghanaian students would have to pay GH¢200 and international students US$200, while the Ghanaians and the international students were to pay GH¢450 and US$450 respectively for the pre-university programmes", the statement added. It would be recalled that students of the university last week protested against the upward adjustment in fees, saying that, they were not consulted and given prior notice to prepare for the adjustment. They contended that the move was likely to deny some of them university education if the authorities failed to heed to their demand for a review. However, the university authorities and the students leadership have begun talks to find an amicable solution to the disagreement over the fees adjustment. Source: Daily Graphic