
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Kofi Asare, has called on the government to arrange a one-month credit facility under the “No-Fee Stress” policy to prevent needy students from losing their conditional admissions to public tertiary institutions.
In a Facebook post on Monday, January 20, Mr. Asare explained that the average academic facility user fee (AFUF) of GHS2,750 per first-year student under the policy is sufficient to ensure students do not forfeit their admissions due to financial constraints.
Even though Education Minister-Designate Haruna Iddrisu, has promised to refund the fees, the Education advocate stressed the urgency of the intervention, as many conditional admission offers require payment within two to three weeks.
“The 2025 main budget will be read in March, by which time some needy students may have missed their conditional admission deadlines,” he stated. “It is therefore important for the incoming Ministers of Education and Finance or the Chief of Staff to arrange a one-month AFUF credit on behalf of such needy students; just so they don’t forfeit their conditional admissions offer on account of a delayed government support they may have relied on.”
Mr. Asare emphasized that if the credit facility is arranged, universities can be reimbursed after the 2025 budget is passed.
He further recommended that the intervention be targeted at needy students to maximize its impact, suggesting that additional support could also be extended to cover accommodation costs for first-year students.
This call aligns with the broader objectives of the “No-Fee Stress” policy, which aims to provide financial relief to students and parents, as outlined in the NDC’s 2024 campaign manifesto.