President John Dramani Mahama has officially launched the ‘No Fees Stress’ policy, a major equity-driven intervention aimed at eliminating financial barriers to tertiary education in Ghana.
Speaking at the launch in Koforidua on Friday, July 4, the President said the new policy would cover academic-related fees for all first-year students admitted to public tertiary institutions across the country.
“Beginning this academic year, the State will cover the academic-related fees of all first-year students admitted into our public universities, colleges of education, technical universities, and nursing training institutions,” President Mahama announced.
He described the initiative as more than a budgetary line, calling it “a moral, constitutional, and developmental imperative.”
According to the President, thousands of qualified Ghanaian students are unable to take up their tertiary admissions due to the inability to pay upfront academic fees. He cited data from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and examples from teacher and nursing training colleges to emphasise the financial burden placed on students.
“In the 2022/2023 academic year, over 150,000 students were admitted to public tertiary institutions. Yet, thousands could not take up these admissions due to the inability to pay academic-related fees,” he said. “These are not just statistics. Behind each number is a name, a face, a dream deferred.”
President Mahama underscored that the policy is not a handout but a constitutional responsibility to ensure access to education for all. “This policy is not about welfare. It is about fairness,” he stated. “Education is the great equaliser. It bridges the gap between where a child is born and what that child can become.”
Key components of the No Fees Stress policy include:
- No Academic Fees for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions.
- A revamped Student Loan Plus scheme to enhance support for continuing students.
- Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities.
- Increased student loan amounts, adjusted annually.
- Targeted scholarships for underrepresented communities and priority fields of study.
- Reimbursement of up to GHS 2,500 for students in fee-paying programmes without regular-track equivalents.
President Mahama highlighted that over 15,000 students have already had their academic fees cleared under the initiative. “This is just the beginning,” he said, officially declaring the policy launched.
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The President also appealed to tertiary institutions to implement the programme with “transparency, compassion, and excellence,” and called on private sector actors and development partners to co-invest through scholarships, bursaries, and public-private financing models.
He concluded by reaffirming his administration’s commitment to building a more just society through education: “Let it be known across this land that, from today, no Ghanaian child will be denied tertiary education simply because they cannot afford the academic fees.”
The No Fees Stress policy, he added, aligns with Article 38(3) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates the State to provide equal access to university education.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
