The government has disbursed GH¢917 million to more than 300,000 students across Ghana through the No-Fee-Stress policy, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has said.
The programme was introduced in 2025 to ease the financial pressure on parents, guardians and students struggling to meet the cost of tertiary education.
Mr Iddrisu announced the figures during a stakeholder engagement with Vice Chancellors Ghana and other education stakeholders at Adukrom in the Eastern Region.
He said the funding demonstrated the government’s commitment to ensuring that financial difficulties did not prevent qualified students from pursuing higher education.
“Government has disbursed GH¢917 million to over 300,000 students. This shows our government’s commitment to ensuring that students who pursue higher education do not suffer along the line,” he stated.
More than 300,000 students have benefited from the policy since its launch, with the government providing financial support intended to help them continue their education without being overwhelmed by fee-related demands.
However, concerns have been raised over how the policy will be financed in the long term and whether reliable funding can be secured to maintain it.
The Ministry of Education and the Student Loan Trust Fund have therefore begun discussions with key stakeholders on alternative ways of financing the scheme.
The engagement also considered how funds could be released to students more quickly, avoiding delays that might disrupt their academic progress.
Student Loan Trust Fund Chief Executive Officer Dr. Saadjida Suraj said the Fund was examining different financing arrangements to respond to the increasing demand for support.
“We are looking at alternative funding models to deal with the urgent need. The Student Loan Trust Fund will be the guarantee institution for all students who will be pursuing higher education,” she noted.
Dr. Suraj also reaffirmed the Fund’s intention to improve the disbursement process and ensure students receive the financial assistance they need.
Mr Iddrisu said the government had set aside further funding to support the continuation of the No-Fee-Stress policy.
He insisted that a student’s financial circumstances should not stand in the way of access to higher education if they met the necessary qualifications.
“Regardless of your financial barrier, if you qualify for higher education, you must be supported by government to pursue higher learning,” he said.
The minister again assured stakeholders that the government remained committed to the policy, which is designed to help students complete their studies without being unduly affected by financial hardship.
The stakeholder engagement is expected to contribute to discussions on sustainable funding arrangements and more efficient disbursement of money under the No-Fee-Stress policy.
