The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government has spent GH¢917 million to support students under the No-Fees-Stress Policy. This amount, which covered 321,807 students, was paid from budgetary support from the Consolidated Fund. The policy aims to reduce the financial burden of tertiary education on students and their families. Mr. Iddrisu made this revelation at a Stakeholder Engagement on the Implementation of the No-Fees-Stress Initiative at Dawu in the Eastern Region.
The No-Fees-Stress Policy was launched on July 4, 2025, as part of President John Mahama's commitment to making tertiary education more accessible. The policy is being implemented by the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) and adequately funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). The programme has been designed to ensure that financial circumstances do not become a barrier to accessing tertiary education for any Ghanaian student. The event was attended by representatives of Vice Chancellors Ghana, Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities, Principals of Colleges of Education, and civil society organisations.
Mr. Iddrisu commended the management and leadership of the SLTF and GETFund for their role in making the No-Fees-Stress Policy a reality. He emphasised that the policy has come to stay and that the government is committed to ensuring that eligible Ghanaian students have access to higher education, regardless of their financial standing or geographical location. The Minister also highlighted the need for timely releases of budgetary allocation to ensure the smooth implementation of the policy.
One of the major challenges of the No-Fees-Stress Policy has been the timely release of funds. Mr. Iddrisu stressed that this challenge must be addressed to ensure the success of the initiative. He also indicated that the government has opened up the students loan trust support to students studying Law for the first time in many years, demystifying legal education. The Minister further hinted that similar support would be extended to medical education in the coming years.
The Chief Executive Officer of the SLTF, Dr. Saajida Shiraz, provided an update on the No-Fees-Stress Policy, highlighting its five sub-components. These include the no academic fee policy, free tertiary education for persons with disabilities, the students loan plus initiative, enhanced traditional loan scheme, and digitalisation of the system. Dr. Shiraz noted that the SLTF has been working to address the urgent funding needs of students.
The Board Chairperson of the SLTF, Cynthia Amerley Amarteifio, stated that the government's reset agenda has placed access, inclusion, affordability, and sustainability to tertiary education at the centre of its education agenda. The No-Fees-Stress Policy is a key component of this agenda, aimed at making tertiary education more accessible to Ghanaian students. The policy has been designed to promote inclusive and equitable education.
The Stakeholder Engagement on the Implementation of the No-Fees-Stress Initiative was organised by the SLTF, with the theme: "Strengthening No-Fees-Stress Implementation through Institutional Partnerships for Inclusive, Equitable and Sustainable Student Financing". The event brought together stakeholders from various institutions to discuss the implementation of the policy and identify areas for improvement.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government has spent GH¢917 million to support 321,807 students under the No-Fees-Stress Policy.
- The policy aims to reduce the financial burden of tertiary education on students and their families.
- The No-Fees-Stress Policy has five sub-components, including the no academic fee policy and free tertiary education for persons with disabilities.
