152,698 Students Supported in First Year of President Mahama's No Academic Fees Policy
- Over 152,000 first-year students in Ghana have benefited from President John Mahama’s No Fees Stress policy
- The Students Loan Trust Fund confirmed the successful pilot of the initiative for the 2025/26 academic year
- SLTF CEO Dr Saajida Shiraz announced that 152,698 students were validated and reimbursed
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About 152,698 first-year tertiary students in public institutions have benefited from President John Dramani Mahama's No Academic Fees policy, also known as No Fees Stress.
This comes after the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) announced the successful conclusion of the policy's pilot implementation, with final reimbursements made to an additional 874 students.
Source: Facebook
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the Chief Executive Officer of the SLTF, Dr Saajida Shiraz, disclosed that a total of 178,745 records were received from public tertiary institutions across the country as enrolment data for first-year students.
She said that out of this number, 168,855 students completed the application for support under the No Academic Fees policy, with 152,698 applicants successfully validated and reimbursed.
In furtherance of its commitment to transparency, Dr Saajida Shiraz stated that the SLTF has developed an N.F.S status checker, available on its website, for students to check their validation and reimbursement status.
"We affirm our commitment to due diligence and the diligent deployment of public funds in service of accessible, inclusive and equitable higher education in Ghana," the statement from Dr Saajida Shiraz said.
In a Facebook post accompanying the press release, the SLTF CEO expressed profound gratitude to President Mahama for envisioning the No Fees Stress policy.
She also thanked stakeholders of the Students Loan Trust Fund for their support and cooperation in the first-year implementation of the policy.
"The No Fees Stress Portal, now containing the full suite of products under the initiative, is also open for the 2025/26 Academic Year. We thank all stakeholders for the cooperation," she added.
Read the Facebook post below:
Why was No Fees Stress policy introduced?
During the 2024 electioneering period, then candidate John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) promised to introduce the No Fees Stress policy to lessen the burden on parents by providing financial assistance to first-year tertiary students in public universities.
The policy, launched in 2025, was introduced to augment the Students Loan Trust Fund, which was set up to bridge the financial gap for many tertiary students.
The SLTF's efforts over the years have had a positive impact on tertiary education in the country.
By providing financial assistance, the Fund is helping ensure that students from all backgrounds have access to quality education, which is essential for the country's development.
Source: Facebook
SLTF names and shames defaulters and guarantors
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) had published the names of 102 individuals who have defaulted on their loan payments.
The list included details such as the borrowers' names, institutions attended, loan amounts, and the names of guarantors.
The SLTF has demanded immediate repayment from defaulters, with further batches to be named if loans were left unpaid.
Source: YEN.com.gh
