The Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has expressed concern over the low number of applicants from some public tertiary institutions under the government’s No-Fees-Stress initiative.
Speaking on ATL FM on June 25, 2025, the Head of Disbursement at the Trust Fund, Mr. Kofi Abbew Nkrumah, revealed that although the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has over 10,000 eligible first-year students, fewer than 5,000 have successfully applied for the scheme.
“When you look at the numbers from the University of Cape Coast and Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU), they are not encouraging. UCC has more than 10,000 eligible students, but only 9,381 have attempted to apply. Out of that number, only 4,998 applications were successfully processed,” Mr. Nkrumah said.
He explained that a significant number of applications failed due to avoidable mistakes.
“This means some students may have selected incorrect programs, submitted wrong ID numbers, or failed the biometric verification process. As of today, only 4,998 students from UCC will receive disbursements. When we review our database again before the national launch on July 4 by His Excellency the President at SDA College of Education in Koforidua, it will reflect the same trend,” he added.
Mr. Nkrumah also highlighted similar issues at Cape Coast Technical University, where only 12 out of 1,142 applicants have been fully approved.
“When you take Cape Coast Technical University, 1,142 students have gone through the application process, but only 12 passed. So what is the problem?” he questioned.
He further emphasized that the application process is simple and accessible, and that many of the issues could be avoided if students followed the steps carefully.
“To qualify for the No-Fees-Stress initiative, you must be a Ghanaian and admitted into an accredited institution. You can apply by visiting the SLTF website, www.sltf.gov.gh. There, you will find the No-Fees-Stress portal. You need a Ghana Card, which is mandatory. Once you enter your card number, the system conducts a liveness test by taking a photo of you, which is verified through the National Identification Authority database,” he explained.
Mr. Nkrumah stated that applicants must also select their institution and program. If the program is not accredited, it will not appear on the portal.
“We then ask if you have a bank account. This initiative is done solely through Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB). If you don’t have an account, one will be created instantly, and the details will be sent via SMS. If you already have a GCB account, you simply input the account number. The system also asks whether you have a disability, and for your fee details. Once submitted, the application process is complete,” he said.
The No-Fees-Stress initiative is aimed at easing the financial burden of academic fees for all first-year students enrolled in Ghana’s 16 public universities, 10 technical universities, 47 colleges of education, and 92 public health training institutions.
