The Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has commenced the disbursement of academic fees to eligible students across public tertiary institutions under the government’s No Academic Fees policy for the 2025/2026 academic year.
In a statement issued on April 16, 2026, the Fund said the rollout marks a major step in easing the financial burden on first-year students and expanding access to higher education.
According to the SLTF, a total of 184,489 student records were received from 163 public tertiary institutions nationwide as part of admission data for first-year students. Out of this number, 161,170 students have successfully validated their information and are currently being processed for payment.
As part of its implementation strategy, the Fund introduced a hybrid disbursement system, combining direct payments to institutions with reimbursements to students.
Under the direct payment model, academic fees for 41,007 students in Colleges of Education, Colleges of Agriculture, and Health Training Institutions have already been paid to 137 institutions.
For university students, the Fund said it has also begun reimbursements.
“Under the reimbursement model, the Fund has completed academic fee payments for the first batch of 11,000 first-year students in Public Universities and Public Technical Universities,” the statement noted.
In total, 52,007 students have so far benefited from the policy, with assurances that remaining beneficiaries will receive payments in subsequent phases.
The SLTF reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that financial challenges do not prevent qualified Ghanaians from accessing tertiary education.
“The SLTF reiterates its commitment to ensuring that no eligible Ghanaian student is denied access to tertiary education due to financial constraints,” the statement said.
The Fund also expressed appreciation to stakeholders for their continued support in implementing the initiative, which forms part of broader efforts to improve educational access and equity in the country.
The No Academic Fees policy is a key intervention aimed at supporting first-year students in public institutions, as government seeks to remove cost barriers and expand opportunities for higher education.
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