No-fees-stress: 156,294 first-year students to have their fees paid in 2025 academic year — Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has announced significant progress in his administration’s ‘No-Academic-Fee’ policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions.

One of the key education policies of the then opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) was the promise to waive academic facility user fees for Level 100 students.

The policy aims to alleviate the financial burden that often forces students from low-income backgrounds to defer their admissions.

As part of the initiative, the government also plans to support such students to fund their education through the Student Loan Trust Fund.

Speaking during his 120-day social contract address on Wednesday, May 7, Mr. Mahama revealed that his administration has allocated GH¢452,940,012.00 to pay fees for 156,294 first-year students.

“Four hundred and fifty-two million, nine hundred and forty thousand and twelve Ghana cedis (GH¢452,940,012.00) has been allocated for the payment of academic facility user fees for one hundred and fifty-six thousand, two hundred and ninety-four (156,294) first-year students in public tertiary institutions for the 2025 academic year,” he said.

The President further stated that the GETFund has been instructed to pay the fees directly to the tertiary institutions to ensure timely disbursement.

“The ‘No-Fees-Stress’ application portal has been developed and is now live for first-year students to register and authenticate their eligibility for this government funding,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has announced that the government will no longer issue refunds to those who have already paid but will instead use the amount to cover their fees for the next academic year.