By Pewu Y. Sumo
MONROVIA —Responding to a growing wave of public outcry over skyrocketing graduation costs, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced the strict enforcement of approved graduation fees and regulations for the 2025/2026 academic year.
According to an official MoE statement, all public and private schools across Liberia are subject to the financial mandates outlined in the current Academic Calendar. The Ministry warned that schools are strictly prohibited from imposing, demanding, or collecting graduation-related fees beyond these approved thresholds.
Approved Graduation Fee Structure:
Grade 12 (Public): LRD 5,000
Grade 12 (Private): USD 100 (or its Liberian Dollar equivalent)
Grades 6 & 9 (Public): LRD 3,500 each
Grades 6 & 9 (Private): LRD 6,000 each
Kindergarten/K2 (Public): LRD 2,500
Kindergarten/K2 (Private): LRD 5,000
Strict Timelines and Uniform Mandates
In a significant policy shift, the Ministry clarified that high school graduation fees can only be collected after the official release of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
“No school is authorized to collect graduation fees before the results are officially announced,” the Ministry stated.
Furthermore, the MoE stipulated that graduation exercises for Grades 6 and 9 are permitted only if those classes represent the terminal (highest) level of education offered at that specific institution.
Addressing the hidden costs of graduation ceremonies, the Ministry declared that the official attire for all exercises must be the standard school uniform. While institutions that already own graduation gowns may use them, the MoE stressed that “no additional fees shall be charged for gowns, rentals, purchases, or related attire.”
Accountability and Public Recourse
The new directives come on the heels of intense public backlash regarding extravagant graduation costs in the higher education sector. Last month, aggrieved students from the Adventist University of West Africa (AUWA) petitioned both the Ministry of Education and the National Commission on Higher Education to protest an “excessive” USD 755 graduation fee.
The Ministry is now urging parents and guardians to act as whistleblowers and report any school demanding unauthorized fees or imposing requirements that violate these regulations.
All schools are required to comply fully with the directives. The MoE has confirmed it will actively investigate reported violations and take swift administrative action against any institution found in breach of the law.
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