'Facts are on the record' - SLTF CEO debunks claims over No-Fees-Stress Policy

The Chief Executive Officer of the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF), Dr Saajida Shiraz, has pushed back against what she described as “disinformation” surrounding the implementation of the government’s No-Fees-Stress Policy, outlining the support provided to tertiary students since the programme was introduced.

According to her, the policy was not a single intervention but comprised four initiatives: the No-Academic-Fees Policy, Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, Students Loan Plus and the Traditional Student Loan.

In a social media post on August 20, 2026, Dr Shiraz said the interventions were designed to ease the financial burden of tertiary education on students and their families.

She explained that although the No-Academic-Fees Policy was scheduled to take effect from September 2025, government extended the support to first-year students enrolled during the 2024/25 academic year.

“Alert to the financial realities confronting students admitted for the 2024/25 academic year, the Government — under no obligation to do so — took the empathetic decision for SLTF to refund the academic fees of all enrolled first-year students in public institutions for that cohort,” Dr Shiraz said.

Nearly 50,000 first-year students cleared for 'No Fees Stress' reimbursement – SLTF CEO

According to her, 152,698 first-year students were validated and reimbursed for the 2024/25 academic year.

For the 2025/26 academic year, Shiraz said the SLTF introduced a direct-to-institution disbursement model following stakeholder consultations.

Dr Shiraz pointed out that 168,982 beneficiaries had so far received support, including 45,127 first-year students in public Colleges of Education, Colleges of Agriculture and Health Training Institutions whose fees were paid directly to their institutions.

Support for persons with disabilities

On the Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities initiative, Dr Shiraz said 1,623 students had received full tuition and residential support for the 2025/26 academic year.

She said stipends and assistive learning devices would follow, while persons with disabilities already on the SLTF loan portfolio were being considered for loan forgiveness.

Students Loan Plus

Dr Shiraz also said 1,997 students had benefited from Students Loan Plus, including 626 students from the Ghana School of Law, with GH¢20.76 million disbursed.

See number of students to benefit from 'No Fees Stress' policy

She said the SLTF Board was exploring the inclusion of graduate programmes, including the Graduate Entry Medical Programme, from the 2026/27 academic year.

Traditional student loan

On the traditional student loan scheme, Dr Shiraz said loan amounts had been increased by 50%, from GH¢1,500–3,000 to GH¢2,250–4,500.

She said interest during the study and moratorium periods had also been reduced from 12% compounding interest to 6% simple interest.

For the 2025/26 academic year, she said 59,307 students had received enhanced loans totalling GH¢210.61 million.

Dr Shiraz said the four components of the No-Fees-Stress Policy had reached 321,680 beneficiaries.

“The 321,680 beneficiaries so far under the initiative are not statistics to be argued away; they are the verdict,” she said.

She added that the No-Academic-Fees component alone had returned close to GH¢1 billion to families.

“The facts are on the record. Let them stand,” Shiraz said.

MRA/MA

Noise Maker, Palm Wine Bar Talk, Prison in His Brain: Sammy Gyamfi tears into Afenyo-Markin