By Franice Tandoh
In a significant move to enhance social protection and improve access to higher education, the government has allocated GH¢499.8 million to implement the No-Academic-Fee policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions under the ‘No-Fees-Stress’ initiative.
Presenting the 2025 Budget Statement in Parliament on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, Minister of Finance Dr. Ato Forson emphasised the government’s commitment to reducing financial barriers to education.
“Mr. Speaker, an amount of GH¢499.8 million has been allocated for the No-Academic-Fee policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions under the ‘No-Fees-Stress’ initiative,” Dr. Forson stated.
The policy is expected to benefit thousands of students across the country, covering academic fees for their first year in public universities, polytechnics, and other tertiary institutions. Education stakeholders have welcomed the move, describing it as a step towards making higher education more accessible.
The No-Fees-Stress initiative forms part of broader social intervention programs outlined in the 2025 budget, including Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, Free Primary Healthcare, and the Ghana Medical Care Trust (MahamaCares).
With the government committing significant resources to education, stakeholders will be keenly watching the rollout of the initiative to ensure its intended impact is fully realised.
