The University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) has appealed to the government to support private universities in areas such as the provision of educational facilities and infrastructure in accordance with the directive principle of state as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.
It also urged the state to subsidize the fees of private university students as it was being done for those in the public universities.
These were contained in a communiqué signed by Mr. Maxwell Ofosu-Boakye, President of USAG, at the end of its 7th Annual Delegates Congress held in Kumasi.
The congress was under the theme "Funding University Education in Ghana, the Obligation of the State, Corporate Institutions and Students."
It called on the government to provide timely, adequate and favourable loans and also, through the Rent Control Unit, regulate the payment of residential fees, both on and off campus.
The communiqué stressed the need for the government to involve students in policy formulation and for instance USAG and National Union of Ghana Students should be involved in decisions made by the government concerning university education, so that the needs of students could be met.
"Government must not shift cost sharing to total cost shifting of tertiary education unto students. It should also determine how much it will cost every student in his or her four years' tertiary education ".
It called for partnership among corporate institutions, students and tertiary institutions and that for instance telecommunication companies should adopt and sponsor information technology programmes in tertiary institutions
The communiqué appealed to chiefs to spend part of their royalties to establish educational funds and scholarships schemes to support students in tertiary institutions.
It added that part of the Students Representative Council dues be set aside to help needy but brilliant students and also invest some of its dues in viable projects to earn incomes and support its activities and programmes.
"It is also the responsibility of students to protect and manage resources in tertiary institutions such as electricity, furniture as well as water," the communiqué said.