'No Fee Stress' policy not new – NAPO slams Mahama gov’t

Former Minister for Energy and Vice-Presidential Candidate for the 2024 election, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has defended reforms introduced to Ghana’s student loan system, saying they significantly eased financial pressure on tertiary students.

Speaking in an interview on GHOne TV with Serwaa Amihere on Thursday, December 18, Dr Opoku-Prempeh said the reforms were designed to expand access, particularly for vulnerable students who were previously locked out by rigid requirements.

He explained that the earlier system, which demanded three state workers as guarantors, excluded many qualified applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Under the revised arrangement, students were allowed to apply using their national identification cards, making support more accessible.

According to him, the changes ensured that any Ghanaian who could prove their identity had the opportunity to benefit from the loan scheme, reducing barriers to higher education.

Dr Opoku Prempeh also pushed back against claims that the “no fee stress” initiative was entirely new, arguing that measures aimed at easing the financial burden on students had already been rolled out before recent political promises.

He noted that teacher trainees and other categories of students benefitted from allowances and student loan support, stressing that reforms in education financing must be implemented gradually to remain sustainable.

The former minister added that while free tertiary education is an admirable objective, Ghana’s economic capacity must be strong enough to sustain such a policy, as seen in some developed countries.