Omanghana
The Students Loan Trust Fund has rejected what it describes as sustained misinformation surrounding the implementation of the government’s No-Fees-Stress Policy.
In an official statement signed by Chief Executive Officer Dr. Saajida Shiraz, the Fund explained that the policy is not a single intervention but a package of four complementary programs designed to reduce financial barriers to tertiary education.
The four components are the No-Academic-Fees Policy, Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, Students Loan Plus and the restructured Traditional Student Loan Scheme.
Under the No-Academic-Fees Policy, government covers the academic fees of Ghanaian first-year students admitted to public tertiary institutions.
Although the program was initially scheduled to take effect from September 2025, the government authorized reimbursements for students who had already paid their fees for the 2024/2025 academic year.
The SLTF said 152,698 first-year students were validated and reimbursed under that arrangement.
Following consultations organized by the Ministry of Education, the Fund introduced an incremental direct-to-institution payment model for the 2025/2026 academic year.
Of the 168,982 beneficiaries paid so far during the academic year, fees for 45,127 first-year students at public Colleges of Education, Colleges of Agriculture and Health Training Institutions were paid directly to their schools.
The Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities initiative has supported 1,623 students during the 2025/2026 academic year. Their tuition and residential fees were paid directly to their institutions, while stipends and assistive learning devices are expected to follow.
The Fund added that loan forgiveness for persons with disabilities already included in its loan portfolio was receiving executive consideration.
Students Loan Plus provides full-fee loans paid directly to institutions and extends eligibility to professional students, including those attending the Ghana School of Law.
According to the SLTF, 1,997 students have benefited from the program, including 626 Ghana School of Law students. A total of GH¢20.76 million has been disbursed under the initiative.
The Fund is also considering extending Students Loan Plus to selected graduate programs, including the Graduate Entry Medical Program, during the 2026/2027 academic year.
Under the Traditional Student Loan Scheme, available amounts have been increased by 50%, from the previous range of GH¢1,500 to GH¢3,000 to between GH¢2,250 and GH¢4,500.
The interest rate applicable during a beneficiary’s period of study and moratorium has also been reduced from 12% compound interest to 6% simple interest.
For the 2025/2026 academic year, 59,307 students have received enhanced loans totaling approximately GH¢210.61 million.
The SLTF said the four components of the policy had supported 321,680 beneficiaries since implementation began. It pledged to continue administering the program transparently and in the interests of Ghanaian students.
Applicants can access services through the No-Fees-Stress portal, while program-specific reimbursable fees are available in the official reimbursement guide. The complete clarification is published on the SLTF website.
Source: Omanghana
