Haruna Iddrisu
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that a total of 312,448 first-year tertiary students have benefited from the government’s flagship “No Fees Stress” policy at a cost exceeding GH¢888 million.
Addressing Parliament yesterday, Mr. Iddrisu disclosed that 152,698 validated first-year students benefited from the programme during the 2024/2025 academic year at a cost of GH¢399.4 million.
He added that 159,750 students have so far received support in the 2025/2026 academic year, with expenditure reaching GH¢489.5 million.
According to the Minister, the policy, which was successfully launched in July 2025 and is currently operational nationwide, is aimed at reducing the financial burden on students and expanding access to tertiary education across the country.
“This is what we have done to support young people’s aspirations to access tertiary education. Our policy remains focused on access, relevance and quality,” he added.
Mr. Iddrisu further revealed that 610 students of the Ghana School of Law have received financial support through the Students’ Loan Trust Fund.
He said the government is taking steps to make legal education more accessible by extending student loan opportunities to those pursuing law and professional legal studies.
“I’m happy to announce that under this government, we are demystifying legal education. Therefore, students pursuing law and professional law can now apply for student loans,” he said.
On support for persons with disabilities, the Minister disclosed that for the 2025/2026 academic year, 1,530 students with disabilities in pre-tertiary institutions have benefited from full tuition and residential support at a total cost of GH¢9.84 million.
The Education Minister also assured Parliament that there are no outstanding financial obligations under the ‘No Fees Stress’ policy, stating that the Minister for Finance, Dr. Ato Forson, has released adequate funds to ensure the smooth implementation of the programme.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House