By Valentia Tetteh
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has disclosed that a total of 312,448 students have benefited from the government’s “No Fee Stress” policy across the 2024 and 2025 academic years at a cost of GHS 888.8 million.
Addressing Parliament on Thursday, June 18, Mr. Iddrisu outlined the impact of the policy, which forms part of government’s efforts to improve access to tertiary education and reduce the financial burden on students and their families.
According to the Minister, 152,698 first-year students benefited from the policy during the 2024/2025 academic year at a cost of GHS 399.4 million.
“Speaker, under the new academic fee policy for the 2024/2025 academic year, 152,698 validated first-year students benefited at a cost of GHS 399,374,727,” he stated.
He further revealed that an additional 159,750 students have so far benefited from the intervention in the ongoing 2025 academic year.
“In the 2025 academic year, 159,750 students have benefited so far at a cost of GHS 489,456,427,” he told the House.
Providing the cumulative figures, the Minister said, “A total of 312,448 students have been assisted under the No Fee Stress initiative at a total cost of GHS 888,831,000.”
Mr. Iddrisu stressed that the initiative demonstrates government’s commitment to supporting young people who aspire to pursue higher education.
“Mr. Speaker, this is what we have done to support young people desirous of accessing tertiary education. Our policy remains access, relevance and quality,” he said.
The Minister also announced additional measures to support persons with disabilities through a free tertiary education initiative, aimed at ensuring inclusivity within the country’s educational system.
He further disclosed reforms in the financing of legal education, indicating that students pursuing law and professional legal training can now access support through the Student Loan Trust Fund.
“I am happy to announce that under this government, we are demystifying legal education. Therefore, students pursuing law and professional law can now apply for the Student Loan Trust Plus,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.
According to him, the intervention has already benefited more than 1,300 students.
“A total of 1,332 students receive full fee coverage loans paid directly to their institutions. This includes 610 students from the Ghana School of Law, the first of its kind, Mr. Speaker,” he added.
Mr. Iddrisu explained that the No Fee Stress initiative comprises several components designed to ease the financial burden associated with tertiary education and improve access for qualified students.
“The No Fee Stress initiative has several components. They include the new academic fees policy that I have explained to mitigate the financial burden,” he noted.
The Minister described the programme as a major social intervention that reflects government’s commitment to expanding access to higher education while maintaining quality and relevance within the sector.
