Government has approved the payment of Book and Research Allowances for senior members of public universities and colleges of education for the 2024/2025 academic year.
The decision, aimed at easing tensions within the tertiary education sector, follows mounting pressure from academic unions over delays in the release of allowance-related exchange rates and payment timelines.
Under the approved structure, academic staff are entitled to $1,500 as Book Allowance and $1,600 as Research Allowance, while non-academic senior staff will receive $1,500 as Book Allowance.
The cedi equivalent of these figures will be calculated using the Bank of Ghana’s average exchange rate of GHS15.47 to $1.00, covering the period from September 2, 2024, to March 28, 2025.
The directive applies to all public tertiary institutions and members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), with eligibility limited to senior members only.
A circular from the Ministry of Finance in June 2025 requires institutions to submit all claims for payment after validation by their Internal Audit Units. Each institution must present two copies of audited claims using a standardised template to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for processing.
The directive is expected to trigger swift submissions amid ongoing concerns over salary arrears, cost-of-living pressures, and delayed entitlements affecting staff morale across campuses.