Students and parents have had to brace themselves every year for an increase in hostel fees. It has become a trend as hostel owners are forced to increase their rates due to yearly inflation which affects their basic operational costs. Many hostels have increased their prices for the 2018/2019 academic year ranging between a 5% to a 20% increase.
Oneof such hostels is the GUSSS hostel (Brunei) on the KNUST campus, which has increased its fees by approximately GHC400 for each room type.
GUSSS stands for the Ghana University Staff Superannuation Scheme. GUSSS was established as a successor to the United Kingdom (UK)-based Federated Superannuation Scheme for Universities (FSSU). The GUSSS scheme was revised and re-established on January 1, 1976.
Part of what the GUSSS does is the construction and management of hostels. The University population keeps rising each year but there is a lack of hostels to comfortably meet the growing need.
Social Media Outcry over high hostel fees
Students have taken to social media to vent their frustrations over the increment, describing it as ‘abnormal’.
How do KNUST hostels come up with their hostel fees?
— Kofi (@_tis_official_) February 7, 2018
The hostel (GUSS) fees in KNUST is now abnormal, the way things are going up i dont think some of us will be able to pay the next academic fees. Pls kindly do something about it
— SHATTA WALE BLOOD (@KwesiSimple) February 7, 2018
GUSSS is over exploitating students. Why this sudden huge increase in hostel fees? And also what’s the ICT levi fee(80cedis)? Smh, someone needs to be working
— Nana Kwami (@amosqwami) February 7, 2018
They will sleep in the rooms themselves(the hostel managers)😂😂😂😂😂
— KB Anderson (@amkofianderson) February 7, 2018
So the new Brunei Hostel fees are out and I was like “Daddy the hostel fees for the next academic year was released yesterday…it’s 3K”.
The next thing he said was “Are your results out?”Father God!! Please save your boy or else next sem man go bed for TV room inside 😭😢
— Kkwesi (@kkwesi_) February 7, 2018
Aspiring SRC hopeful Mr. Samuel Atta Poku, a BEC. Building Technology student of KNUST has written a letter to the management of the GUSSS hostels to ask for a reduction in price, a clarification of the ICT charges, and an extension of the end of March deadline where students are expected to make full payment for their room. Here is the full letter;
SAMUEL ATTA POKU
BEC. BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
thesamuelcrusade@gmail.com
Tel +233 54 953 0497
THE HOSTEL MANAGER
GUSSS HOSTELS
KNUST
Dear Sir,
PETITION TO REDUCE THE HOSTEL PRICES FOR 2018/2019 ACADEMIC YEAR
On Tuesday, 6th February, 2018, the prices per room for GUSSS hostels were released. As has been the trend over the years, there has been an increment in the hostel prices. However, this time around, the increment is quite huge and unfair. About 400 cedis has been added to the price for each room. For example, Four-in-a-room which previously went for 1,710 cedis now stands at 2,095 cedis. In addition, new entrants have to pay an additional amount of 100 cedis in addition to the high fees charged.
Also, students have been informed, that 80 cedis of their hostel fees covers ICT charges. As to what these ICT charges entail, we do not know. A lot of speculations are being made and the conclusion most people have arrived at is that these fees are for WI-FI charges. If that is the case, it will be quite problematic because students school fees already cater for WI-FI services.
The deadline for payment is at the end of March and that is too short a period for students to make payment.
All this is as a result of the inadequate hostels on campus. Students therefore have to scramble for the few available ones and this gives hostel management the liberty to increase prices.
This petition is to ask that hostel management revise their prices and reduce them since students are agitating about the increment. Also, an extension in the deadline to the end of the academic year, preferably, June to give parents ample time to come up with the monies for payment.
I hope our humble petition will be taken into consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Samuel Atta Poku
cc. The Vice-Chancellor, KNUST
Dean of Students, KNUST
SRC President, KNUST
Book a hostel
Hostels off-campus are trying to meet the needs of students financially and some have very attractive offers as well as facilities and security. Students can check the GetRooms website to compare hostel prices and book hostel for free. Try it now, its free to use.