Gov’t’s “first year fee exemption initiative” to cover only Legon, KNUST, UCC and other public tertiary institutions – Minister

The Minister of State responsible for Government , Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has made it clear that government’s fee exemption  support program for tertiary students will, for now, benefit only those enrolled in public institutions.

During the Joy FM’s Newsfile programme on Saturday [May 10, 2025], Mr Kwakye Ofosu explained that students in private universities and publicly funded tertiary institutions will not benefit from the initiative’s progress stage.

Felix Kwakye Ofosu said that “For now, the fee exemption support program will cover public institutions only. In the future, we may consider private institutions or subvented ones. So, we’re talking about public universities, technical universities, nursing training institutions, or any other tertiary institution of a similar nature.”

An online platform has been successfully unveiled for the fee exemption  support program to make sure the  first-year students admitted into public tertiary institutions for the 2024–2025 academic year to submit their details for fee support.

Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated that the fund will be paid straight into students’ verified bank accounts after registration and approval.

Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu said that “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. The money is coming from the Student Loan Trust Fund, which was included in the operations bill we passed earlier.”

He further stated that students who had already paid their fees before the implementation of the initiative would be refunded, provided their details can be authenticated. Regarding potential fraudulent activities, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the system was built to prevent the the addition of fictional names by requiring individual verification.

He again said “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 indicated that the decision to begin with first-year students driven by pragmatic concerns and the need to control costs. He said the programme is expected to cost about GH¢458 million, which he described as easier to handle than the Free SHS programme that leads to high yearly expenses.

He added that the measures was needed due to financial pressure many families face after their children complete SHS. Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu asked that “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?”

In his view, data from the National Council on Tertiary Education (NCTE) serve to confirm submitted enrollment data by institutions, to promote accurate payment and accountability

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