The government’s new fee relief programme for tertiary students will, for now, benefit only those enrolled in public institutions, the Minister of State responsible for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has said.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile programme on Saturday [May 10, 2025], Mr Kwakye Ofosu explained that students in private universities and subvented tertiary institutions are not covered under the current phase of the initiative.

“For now, it’s public institutions only. In the future, we may consider private institutions or subvented ones,” he said. “So, we’re talking about public universities, technical universities, nursing training institutions, or any other tertiary institution of a similar nature.”

A digital portal has been launched to enable first-year students admitted into public tertiary institutions for the 2024–2025 academic year to submit their details for fee support.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the funds would be transferred directly into students’ verified bank accounts after registration and approval.

“The portal has been created and was launched three weeks ago. Once you register and your account details can be verified, the funds will be sent to you,” he said. “The money is coming from the Student Loan Trust Fund, which was included in the operations bill we passed earlier.”

He also indicated that students who had already paid their fees before the rollout of the system would be refunded, provided their details can be authenticated.

On the risk of fraud, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the system was built to prevent the inclusion of ghost names by requiring individual verification.

“You don’t just get a list from the university and start paying without knowing who you’re paying. The person must be identifiable,” he said.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the decision to begin with first-year students was based on practical considerations and the need to control costs.

He said the programme is expected to cost about GH¢458 million, which he described as more manageable compared to the Free SHS programme that runs into higher annual costs.

He added that the intervention was necessary given the financial strain many families face after their children complete SHS. “If they can’t pay GH¢800 to GH¢1,500 for boarding at SHS, how are they expected to pay GH¢3,000, GH¢4,000, or GH¢5,000 at the university level?” he asked.

According to him, data from the National Council on Tertiary Education (NCTE) is being used to verify enrolment figures submitted by institutions, to support accurate disbursement and accountability.