The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has released new guidelines governing the admission of mature students into tertiary institutions nationwide.

The directive, effective immediately, was issued in a circular dated December 8, 2025, and signed by GTEC Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai.

According to GTEC, the updated policy aims to ensure transparency, fairness, and consistency in the admission of mature applicants while maintaining national academic standards.

The commission warned that institutions admitting students who do not meet the approved criteria could face sanctions, including potential withdrawal of accreditation, as stipulated under the Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1023).

Under the revised guidelines, tertiary institutions may admit mature applicants up to a maximum of 5% of their total annual intake.

To qualify, applicants must:

Be 25 years or older and provide proof of age.

Have at least five years of relevant work experience.

Meet minimum academic requirements in SSSCE or WASSCE.

Pass entrance examinations in English, Mathematics, and an aptitude test (applicants with recognised credit passes in English and Mathematics may use those results instead).

The directive specifies that chartered institutions must administer their own entrance exams for mature applicants in English and Mathematics.

For institutions operating under mentorship arrangements, the mentor university is required to moderate the exams and review marked scripts.

Applicants from outside the WAEC system may submit proof of acceptable credit passes from any nationally recognised equivalent high-school examination instead of taking the mature entrance exams.

GTEC emphasised that all tertiary institutions, as well as the general public, should familiarise themselves with these requirements, which now set the national standard for admitting mature students.