John Dramani Mahama is the President of Ghana
President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that the ‘No Fee Stress’ Policy was directly inspired by real-life stories of student hardship that circulated on social media, highlighting the urgent need for financial intervention at the tertiary level.
Speaking at the official launch in Koforidua on Friday, July 4, 2025, President Mahama said the policy was born out of compassion after witnessing students who, despite gaining admission, were unable to pay their academic fees.
He recounted the case of a girl who had been admitted to study medicine at the University for Development Studies (UDS) but was found helping her mother roast plantain to raise funds.
“We looked out for her, we found her and her mother, and we took her to the university. We paid her academic fees, and not only that, we asked UDS to provide us with her fees for the entire course, and they did. We paid her fees until she completed university. That was one of the stories that moved us to include the No Fee Stress Policy in our manifesto,” he stated.
The president also shared another story of a student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) who had to delay his registration because his family was waiting to harvest their crops.
“There was a story on social media about him going to the farm. School had reopened, but he had not gone to register because his family had not yet harvested their crops to sell and raise the money for his fees. Once again, we had to intervene and cover his academic expenses. It became clear to us that these are not isolated cases. These are real stories of real people,” President Mahama added.
The policy is aimed at ensuring equitable access to higher education for every Ghanaian student.
JKB/MA
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