Impact of Academic Facility User Fees on University Students
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter presents background information on the topic, “Academic Facility User Fees and its Impact on University Students”. It also contains the statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, limitations and delimitations of the study and organisation of the study.
1.1 Background of the study
User fees are paid for the use of any public services and facilities (en.wikipedia.org). At the federal level in the US, there is a charge for walking to the top of the Statue of Liberty, to drive into many National parks, and to use particular services of the Library of Congress (en.wikipedia.org). States may charge tolls for driving on highways or impose a fee on those who camp in state parks. Communities usually have entrance fees for public swimming pools and meters for parking on local streets.
In international development, user fees refer to a system fees for basic health care, education, and/or other services which a developing country implements in order to make up for the costs of these services. The International Monetary Fund often recommends that nations start charging fees for these services in order to reduce their budget deficits.
1.2 The Case in Ghana
Higher education was traditionally free of charge in Ghanaian universities. Qualified students were also entitled to free board, and free lodging. Funding is the most serious challenge faced by higher education in Ghana today. In 2000, the approved recurrent budget for universities covered less than 56 percent of the universities’ requirements. However, polytechnic institutes received considerable support from the government, and their budgets were increased from covering 30 percent of their estimated costs in 1998 to 50 percent in 2000. This increase, however, was insufficient, and the problem of funding for both universities and polytechnics institutes remains significant.
Nearly 20 years of structural adjustment programming at the
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter presents background information on the topic, “Academic Facility User Fees and its Impact on University Students”. It also contains the statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, limitations and delimitations of the study and organisation of the study.
1.1 Background of the study
User fees are paid for the use of any public services and facilities (en.wikipedia.org). At the federal level in the US, there is a charge for walking to the top of the Statue of Liberty, to drive into many National parks, and to use particular services of the Library of Congress (en.wikipedia.org). States may charge tolls for driving on highways or impose a fee on those who camp in state parks. Communities usually have entrance fees for public swimming pools and meters for parking on local streets.
In international development, user fees refer to a system fees for basic health care, education, and/or other services which a developing country implements in order to make up for the costs of these services. The International Monetary Fund often recommends that nations start charging fees for these services in order to reduce their budget deficits.
1.2 The Case in Ghana
Higher education was traditionally free of charge in Ghanaian universities. Qualified students were also entitled to free board, and free lodging. Funding is the most serious challenge faced by higher education in Ghana today. In 2000, the approved recurrent budget for universities covered less than 56 percent of the universities’ requirements. However, polytechnic institutes received considerable support from the government, and their budgets were increased from covering 30 percent of their estimated costs in 1998 to 50 percent in 2000. This increase, however, was insufficient, and the problem of funding for both universities and polytechnics institutes remains significant.
Nearly 20 years of structural adjustment programming at the
Bibliography: ANR Cost Recovery Guidelines & Procedures, Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Administrative Handbook Section 292, 2006, University of California Dogbevi E http://news.myjoyonline.com/features/200709/8378.asp Harsch, E., (2000), Ghana grapples with university fee, Africa Recovery Magazine, Vol.14#2, July 2000 Heller D. E. (2001), Effects of Tuition Prices and Financial Aid on Enrollment in Higher Education: California and the Nation, Rancho Cordova, CA Hillman, A Manuh T., Gariba S., and Budu J. (2007), Change & Transformation in Ghana’s Publicly Funded Universities: A Study of Experiences, Lessons & Opportunities, James Currey Oxford, Woeli Publishing Services Accra Sakyi, E