Student Loan Trust Fund: application, repayment, statement, interest, disbursement
Are you a Ghanaian student studying in one of the tertiary institutions in the country but financially challenged in paying tuition and other related expenses? Then, you should consider applying for the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF). The SLTF is government's means of providing loans to higher education students to pay for tuition, boarding, books, and other related expenses.
Source: Twitter
Established in December 2005 under the Trustee Incorporation, the objectives of the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) are to provide financial aids for students and the promotion and facilitation of national ideals, among others. While accessing the funds is not automatic, it is important to understand the application, repayment, statement, interest, and disbursement procedures.
Overview of Student Loan Trust Fund Accra
The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the President of the Republic. The SLFT has a mission to make timely financial services available to eligible Ghanaian tertiary students and a vision to inspire and unleash greater prospects.
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Additionally, for the effective operation of the organisation, there are campus offices in major institutions. They are set up to provide necessary information to students, liaise between those applying for loans and the organisation, among other things.
Before a student is considered for the loan, their programmes and institution are considered. By implication, the programme a student is offering and the tertiary institution attended must be NAB accredited. Only Ghanaian citizens living and schooling in Ghana are qualified to apply.
Application procedure
To apply, you need an active telephone number for both you and your guarantor as well as a social security number. You also need the following:
- An E-Zwich account linked to your bank account
- Two passport size photographs
- A personal guarantor who is either an MMDA, an SSNIT contributor, a corporate or religious body
- You should be a registered student
Once the application begins, the SLTF campus offices get notified. Usually, the opportunity to apply opens at the beginning of a new academic year. Here are steps you should follow to apply:
- Visit the official website of the Student Loan Trust Fund to download the form
- Carefully fill the Loan Application form, Guarantor Deed, and Students Loan Agreement forms
- Then, attach two recent passport size photographs, which must not be stapled or glued
- Attach the following photocopies before you submit:
- Both sides of your E-Zwich card
- SSNIT ID card or the reference number
- Your student admission letter and ID of the tertiary institution where you are studying
Disbursement plan
Once you fill the form and every document is submitted, bear in mind that the Student Loan Trust Fund disbursement takes about two weeks from the day applicants submit their completed application form. Within that time, everything that needs verification before transferring the funds to students would have been carried out.
Student Loan Trust Fund loan repayment
Once you get this loan, you should do everything possible not to default. Your faithfulness in paying back will help other Ghanaian students to also access the loan for them to complete their studies.
If not for anything, you may also want to ensure that you pay back on time so your name does not get published on the Student Loan Trust Fund defaulters list.
Source: UGC
To make repayment of the loan easier, the Student Loan Trust Fund interest rate is concluded not to go beyond 12%. In fact, in a situation where the treasury bill rate goes beyond 12%, that of the SLTF loan will still remain at 12%.
Additionally, you don't have to wait until you graduate before you pay back. Once you have the means of doing so while in school, you can start repaying it.
READ ALSO: List of student loan defaulters from UG, KNUST, UCC et al., published
So, when you are repaying, how do you go about that? Well, you can mandate your employer to deduct the loan from your monthly payments, pay via cheque at the SLTF head office, or use your Social Security Number to pay through:
- Your smart pay - Ghana Commercial Bank.
- A special SLTF in slip - National Investment Bank.
- Collect - Eco bank Ghana Bank
An alternative provided for you to pay the loan is by visiting the Student Loan Trust Fund head office in Accra located at Crescent Avenue Asylum Down (near Highgate Hotel) at room number 47, 3rd floor.
In case you are away from the country, any of your friends or family members can repay on your behalf. You may also choose to send the money directly to the SLTF, but remember to check your student loan balance as well as the exchange rates.
Student loan balance check
To know the state of your loan and what you have left to pay, you can follow these steps:
- Visit the Fund's official platform
- On the Loan Statement option, type in your Social Security Number
- After inputting, it, click on the "Check Now" button to access your loan balance
Note that the organisation sends statements through emails also, but once a year.
Student Loan Trust Fund contact
Depending on your purpose of enquiry, you can either contact the SLTF office through any of their zonal or campus offices. The Loan Relationship Officer (LRO) is the one in charge of supervising the activities going on at the offices. Here are the fixed-line and cell phone numbers of the offices.
Zone Offices
The organisation operates three offices at strategic locations in the country. Their contact details are given below:
Accra Poly
- Fixed-line: 050-1402577
UPSA
- Fixed-line 0302 923928
- Cell phone 050-1402579
Legon
- Fixed-line: 0302 521036
- Cell phone: 050-1402578
Campus Office
You can contact the organisation at the campus level in any of the following locations:
Source: UGC
Accra Polytechnic
- Accra Poly - Former Rector’s
- UG City Campus - SRC Office
Kumasi Polytechnic
- Kumasi Polytechnic located at the Old Library (Entrepreneurship and Finance Department)
- UEW (Mampong) - Campus Security Block
Sunyani Polytechnic
- Sunyani Poly Accountancy - Department Block D
- The University of Energy and Natural Resources - SRC Office (SRC Block)
Koforidua
- Koforidua Polytechnic located at Room C108, Ground Floor of the Computer Science Building
- All Nations University - Sky Room 5.3 (BASA & Alumni office)
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
- KNUST - Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) Building
- Garden City University College - SRC Office on the main admin block or you can ask at the help desk at the main entrance
Tamale
- UDS - Navrongo located at the Savannah Annex.
- UDS - Tamale Campus located at the ICT Block Ground Room 8.
Central University
- Central University (Mataheko) - Annex A Frank Roberts, Mataheko - Accra
- Central University (Miotso - Prampram) located at the Dean Of Students Office.
UPS
- University of Professional Studies - UPSA AB9 Office
- Valley View University - SRC Office
University of Education - Winneba
- The University Hall Annex, North campus
- The NUGS office, South campus
Takoradi Polytechnic
- Takoradi Poly main campus - Mechanical Engineering Dept. Room 11
- University Of Mines And Technology - The SRC President's office, near The Chamber Of Mines hall
University of Ghana
- University of Ghana - SRC office
- GIMPA - Students Affairs office
University of Cape Coast
- UCC - Old Education behind the Assembly block (old site)
- Cape Coast Poly - Admin building
The Student Loan Trust Fund is a laudable initiative that the government needs to be applauded for. Through it, students who had almost lost hope of ever finishing their studies can now smile since they know their dream is valid.
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