2025 budget: Government allocates GH¢499.8 million to fund No-Fee-Stress policy

The government has allocated GH¢499.8 million to fund the No-Academic-Fee policy for first-year students in public tertiary institutions.

This was announced by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson during his budget presentation to Parliament on Tuesday, March 11.

The policy, otherwise known as the No-Fee-Stress initiative, was one of the flagship campaign promises of President John Dramani Mahama ahead of the 2024 general elections.

It marks a significant shift in Ghana’s education system, aiming to ease the financial burden on first-year tertiary students and improve access to higher education.

Under this initiative, all first-year students enrolled in public universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, nursing training colleges, and other public tertiary institutions will have their tuition fees waived for the entire academic year.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu revealed during his vetting that students who had already paid their fees for the 2024/2025 academic year would be refunded.

Similarly, the Minister hinted at a “GH¢292.4 million allocation for the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools.”