The government has announced a new scholarship initiative aimed at supporting students from underrepresented communities and marginalised groups to access tertiary education, as part of efforts to promote social equity and national development.
The announcement was made by President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, July 4, at the launch of the ‘No Fees Stress’ Policy in Koforidua, a major intervention designed to ease financial constraints faced by Ghanaian students in higher education.
According to President Mahama, the government has diversified its student funding system to include targeted scholarships that will prioritise students from disadvantaged communities and those pursuing academic programs crucial to the nation’s development agenda.
“We also have diversified student funding mechanisms, including targeted scholarships for underrepresented communities and disciplines that are vital to our national development,” Said President John Dramani Mahama
The President explained that the targeted scholarships form part of a broader strategy to address longstanding disparities in access to higher education, particularly for students from rural areas, low-income families, and minority groups.
He noted that despite progress made through Ghana’s Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) and Free SHS programs, many young people still face financial barriers to tertiary education.
President Mahama underscored the government’s commitment to fostering inclusive development by ensuring that no qualified Ghanaian is denied tertiary education because of their background or financial circumstances.
The No–Fees Stress policy has been designed with deliberate inclusivity and scalability.
According to President Mahama, under this policy, the government will cover the academic-related fees for all first-year students admitted to public tertiary institutions.
The second component of the no-fee stress policy is the student loan plus initiative. This is a restructured financing model that provides enhanced support for continuing students with expanded eligibility and simplified access. And as you were just informed, next year the money allocated to the student loan scheme is going to be doubled and so you will also expect a doubling of your student loan”.
He further stated that under the Policy is free tertiary education for persons with disability.
“To ensure full inclusion and compliance with our obligations under the Disability Act, all persons with disability shall have free tertiary education from first year until they complete. And as I told you already, there will be increased student loan amounts which will reflect the real cost of tertiary education and it will be adjusted annually for inflation” President Mahama said.
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