BY Grace Zigah
Students of the Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Sunyani, have raised concerns over the timing, payment arrangements and apparent increase in fees announced for the 2026/2027 academic year.
The concerns follow a notice from the college’s management informing all second- and third-year students that the Ministry of Health has released the approved fees for the first semester of the 2026/2027 academic year.
According to the notice, second-year students in the Registered General Nursing (RGN), Registered Midwifery (RM) and Registered Nurse Assistant Clinical (RNAC) programmes are required to pay GH¢5,060. Third-year female students in the RGN and RM programmes are to pay GH¢5,129, while third-year male students have been billed GH¢5,429.
Management has directed students to pay the full amounts on or before Monday, September 14, 2026, the reopening day. Payments are to be made through direct deposits, and not banker’s drafts, into the college’s account at NIB Bank, with each payment made in the student’s own name.
The new arrangement has, however, triggered questions among some students, particularly over why the fee bills were issued only a few days before reopening, despite students having vacated in May.
Students are also questioning the absence of an itemised breakdown showing the specific services, facilities or charges covered by the amounts stated in the notice. They argue that providing only a total figure makes it difficult for them to determine how the fees were calculated.
Another concern centres on the payment destination. Students say that, unlike previous arrangements in which fees were paid into the Ministry of Health’s designated account, they have now been instructed to deposit the money directly into the school’s account.
They are therefore seeking clarification from management on what has changed and why the new payment arrangement has been introduced.
The students have further compared their bills with fees reportedly being charged at some other nursing and midwifery training institutions and claim that the amounts at Sunyani appear significantly higher in some cases.
They are consequently demanding an explanation for the disparity and a detailed breakdown to enable them to understand the basis of the approved charges.
The change in the payment schedule has also attracted concern. Students say they were previously required to pay 60 per cent of their fees before reopening and settle the remaining balance after returning to school.
Under the latest directive, however, the entire semester’s fees must be paid before or on the reopening date.
While the college notice states that the fees were approved by the Ministry of Health, it does not provide an item-by-item breakdown of the charges or explain the reasons for the changes in the payment structure.
The students are therefore calling on the college and relevant authorities to provide greater clarity, insisting that transparency over the fees would help address concerns about the amounts being demanded and the new payment arrangements.
