President John Dramani Mahama has launched the “No Fees Stress” policy in Koforidua, fulfilling a major campaign promise aimed at making tertiary education more accessible to first-year students across Ghana.
The policy, which waives academic user fees for all fresh students in public tertiary institutions, is a key component of Mahama’s “Reset Ghana” agenda and is designed to ease the financial burden on vulnerable households while promoting youth empowerment through education.
Speaking at the launch, President Mahama revealed that the inspiration behind the initiative came from real-life encounters with brilliant but financially challenged students.
“These are not isolated stories; these are real stories of people,” he emphasized, adding that such experiences highlight the urgency to eliminate financial hurdles for tertiary education.
The policy has already seen strong engagement, with the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) reporting nearly 130,000 registrations and over 100,000 completed applications as of mid-June.
Government officials highlighted the policy’s early impact: Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu announced that at least 19,500 students have already received reimbursements, while SLTF Acting CEO Dr. Saajida Shiraz confirmed that 19,703 students across 135 public and private institutions received second-semester loans.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu also revealed that the policy now covers students with physical challenges, with swift disbursements underway.
He further announced that the GETFund will double its allocation to SLTF from GH¢70 million to GH¢150 million to enhance support for beneficiaries.
