Govt Adjusts No-Fee Stress Policy for Uni Freshmen: No more direct refund for 1st-years - Dr Apaak

Accra, Ghana - 20 April, 2025 - Ghana's government has made a significant U-turn on its promise to absorb university fees for first-year students. Despite initial assurances that students who had already paid fees for the 2025 academic year would receive refunds, the government has now announced that these students will instead have their accounts credited towards their second-year fees.

The decision comes after the government allocated GHS499.8 million for the implementation of the policy. According to Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak, the new approach aims to avoid logistical challenges and potential impropriety by disbursing funds directly to universities rather than students.

Under the revised plan, students who have already paid their first-year fees will not receive direct refunds. Instead, the amount they paid will be credited towards their second-year fees, effectively waiving their fees for the subsequent year.

“The same students are going to be continuing. Rather than the physical reimbursement, going forward, as they go into their second year, what should have come to them to defer their academic fee for the first year will become a credit, which will then mean that as they go to second year, they wouldn’t have to pay because they have already paid for their first year.''

“This approach helps us avoid logistical challenges and any potential impropriety,” he said in an interview on JoyNews' NewsNight show.

The government's decision has drawn attention to the challenges of implementing campaign promises. The policy was initially touted as a key initiative by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, with then-presidential candidate John Mahama promising to absorb fees for all Level 100 students within the first 120 days of taking office.

Source: Lead News Online