GUPS meets Student Loan Trust Fund CEO

The Ghana Union of Professional Students (GUPS), led by H.E. Samuel Nana Yaw Smith Dadzie, recently held a significant meeting with the CEO of the Student Loan Trust Fund at their office in Asylum Down.

This meeting was crucial for the welfare of students across member institutions.

Recognizing the financial challenges students face, especially as many institutions are on vacation and gearing up for a new academic year, the GUPS leadership took proactive steps to advocate for easier access to student loans. As students themselves, the GUPS executives understand the struggles of paying school fees, with some students missing exams over as little as 500 Ghana cedis (GHS 500), which can adversely affect their GPA. This financial burden often forces students to delay their education and incur additional costs.

The meeting included key figures such as Mr. Nuhu Bayorbo Mahama, the CEO of the Student Loan Trust Fund, the Public Relations Officer Mr. Adam Abdul Majid, and the Director of Loan Disbursement, Mr. Michael. They warmly welcomed the GUPS executives and listened to their concerns.

H.E. Samuel Nana Yaw Smith Dadzie highlighted the challenges students face, noting that some students struggle to receive the loan and that awareness of the loan’s existence is low among students, particularly in private institutions. He pointed out that the Student Loan Trust Fund seems to focus more on public institutions, which is not ideal since students in private institutions offering professional courses might need the loans more.

In response, Mr. Nuhu Bayorbo Mahama clarified that the student loan is available to all Ghanaian students, provided their institutions and programs are accredited by GTEC. He explained that accreditation issues, such as institutions operating without proper accreditation or offering unaccredited programs, hinder the approval of loan applications. He also noted that discrepancies in Ezwich account details have caused application cancellations.

Mr. Mahama assured GUPS that the Student Loan Trust Fund is committed to collaborating with them to ensure that students in their member institutions are not left out. Efforts are underway to increase the loan amount for students in non-public and professional institutions.

In conclusion, the meeting was fruitful, and GUPS encourages its member institutions to verify their accreditation status with GTEC. The Union remains committed to ongoing engagements to address the needs of its students.