Parliament has passed the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Act, 2026, which amends the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023). The amendment primarily removes the mandatory requirement for affiliated tertiary institutions to obtain a Charter within a fixed six-year period.

Key Updates:

• Removal of Mandatory Charter Deadline: The Act eliminates the requirement for affiliated institutions to obtain a Charter within six years, replacing it with a more flexible, optional pathway where institutions may apply for a Charter once they meet the prescribed criteria.

• Expanded Accreditation Framework: The law introduces broader categories of accreditation, allowing institutions to operate as universities, university colleges, colleges, institutes, centres, or transnational institutions, among others.

• Clarification of Legal Status of Institutions: Accredited tertiary institutions are recognised as body corporates, with the ability to operate, admit students, develop programmes, and establish campuses subject to regulatory standards.

• Governance Reforms: The composition of the governing body of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission is revised to include two Vice-Chancellors from public universities and a founder of a private tertiary institution.

• Operational Flexibility: Institutions are permitted to award degrees in partnership with mentor or partner institutions and expand operations within regulatory guidelines.