Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum and Daniel Kyeremeh
The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has expressed gratitude to the government through the Minister of Education for the expedited student loan and teacher trainee allowance during a press conference held last Friday.
The press conference was a follow-up to a previous one held on Tuesday “to highlight the urgent issues affecting Ghanaian students, particularly those in Morocco, and the challenges surrounding student loan disbursements.”
Addressing the press, the President of NUGS, Daniel Kyeremeh, noted that “significant progress has been made since then, thanks to the unwavering support and intervention of the government and the Honourable Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum. The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) extends its heartfelt gratitude to the government for its swift response to our calls for action. We also appreciate the Honourable Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, for his instrumental role in fast-tracking the payment of student loans and teacher trainee allowances.”
This breakthrough, NUGS noted, “is a result of consistent advocacy and collaborative efforts aimed at ensuring timely financial support for students across the country.”
The NUGS President, as part of the efforts to alleviate the challenges being faced by students, had earlier met Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum and the CEO of the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF), Mr. Nuhu Bayorbo Mahama, discussions during which focused on expediting the disbursement of outstanding loans for students and ensuring timely financial support for their educational needs.
“I am delighted to share the following outcomes from our meeting: Student Loan Disbursements: The SLTF has already disbursed GH¢35 million. An additional GH¢25 million remains to be cleared. GH¢5 million will be disbursed into the accounts of beneficiaries immediately following this press conference,” he stated.
The remaining GH¢20 million, the NUGS President said, will be disbursed exactly two weeks from the date of the press conference, on June 14, 2024.
“Even students who submitted their forms on May 30, 2024 will receive their disbursements,” he said.
For students who are already on the loan portfolio and need clearance to write exams, he advised them to contact the SLTF through NUGS to arrange for their clearance.
Regarding teacher training allowances, he said that a total of 58,617 teacher trainees have been cleared for payment.
NUGS called on all principals who have not yet forwarded the data of their students to do so promptly to ensure clearance and payment.
He said that NUGS had received assurance that GH¢27 million is ready to settle the first two months of the four-month arrears today, June 3, 2024. “The remaining two months will follow subsequently. We are deeply appreciative of the government’s commitment to resolving these critical financial issues,” he stated.
He was quick however to add that “we still anticipate practical results for the Ghanaian students in Morocco who continue to face significant hardships due to delayed stipends. NUGS will work tirelessly to ensure that such delays do not occur in the future and will continue to advocate for timely interventions.”
By A.R. Gomda