The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for allocating GH¢100 million to the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) this year, describing it as “historic and unprecedented”.

It said the funding facilitated under the leadership of the new GETFund Administrator, Paul Adjei, had brought much-needed relief to thousands of tertiary students who depended on student loans to finance their education. 

First time

“For the first time in four years, the SLTF has been able to pay all second semester loan tranches to students,” the President of NUGS, Daniel Korley Botchway, stated in an interview with journalists after an engagement with the SLTF.

“This move restores predictability to the scheme, reduces financial anxiety and allows students to focus fully on their studies,” he said.

Following the release of GH¢100 million, the GETFUND has cleared all outstanding arrears to the SLTF, and the trust fund is expecting the release of GH¢60 million allocation for 2025.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SLTF, Dr Saajida Shiraz, in a recent engagement with student leaders, revealed that GH¢92.6 million had already been disbursed to 39,515 students as loan support for the 2024/25 academic year.

No Fee Stress

Additionally, under the government’s No Fee Stress Policy, GH¢289.6 million has been reimbursed to 120,224 first-year students in academic fees for the same academic year.

The NUGS president said those interventions had yielded a transformative impact on students’ academic journeys. 

He explained that many beneficiaries who previously struggled to pay outstanding fees, secure accommodation or purchase essential study materials were now able to do so without disruptions.

For others, the timely funds meant avoiding deferral of programmes and maintaining steady academic progress, he pointed out.

“This is not just about money — it’s about keeping dreams alive,” Mr Botchway said, adding that “When students are free from the constant worry about finances, they can channel their energy into academic excellence, research, innovation and leadership.”

Minister 

NUGS also commended the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, for his supportive role in advancing initiatives that enhanced student welfare, stating that his encouragement and policy backing had contributed to creating an enabling environment for such impactful funding interventions.

The union further praised the improved coordination between GETFund and SLTF, describing it as a critical factor in ensuring that funds were released and disbursed on time.

The renewed collaboration, the NUGS president said, should serve as a benchmark for inter-agency cooperation in solving education sector challenges.

NUGS has pledged to continue engaging with the Minister, GETFund and SLTF to sustain and enhance such interventions for the benefit of all Ghanaian students.