The government has announced a major adjustment to its widely publicised “No-Fee Stress” policy, which initially promised direct refunds to first-year university students who had already paid their academic fees for the 2025 academic year. This policy shift has stirred mixed reactions from students and education stakeholders across the country.
The “No-Fee Stress” initiative was a flagship promise made by then-presidential candidate John Mahama during the election campaign. He pledged that his administration would absorb the fees for all Level 100 students within the first 120 days of assuming office. The pledge gave many families hope, especially amid the economic difficulties facing most households. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu later reaffirmed this commitment during his vetting, promising that the government would issue refunds to affected students. The policy was backed by a substantial GHS499.8 million allocation to support its implementation.
However, in an unexpected twist, the government has now announced that there will be no direct cash refunds to students. Instead, the money that was meant to reimburse Level 100 students will be used to credit their accounts for second-year tuition. This means students who have already paid fees for their first year will not receive physical reimbursement, but will not need to pay again when they move on to their second year.
Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak made this known during an interview on JoyNews' NewsNight. According to him, the shift in strategy is driven by a desire to ensure proper accountability and avoid complications with disbursing large sums of money to individuals. “Rather than the physical reimbursement, going forward, 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,” Dr. Apaak explained.
He further clarified that all disbursements would be made directly to the universities. This approach, he added, is intended to reduce logistical challenges and minimise the risk of irregularities or improper use of funds. While some students and parents may have expected immediate financial relief, the government believes that redirecting the funds this way ensures smoother implementation and long-term benefit for the students involved.
The change has sparked a wave of discussion on social media and campus groups, with some students welcoming the clarity on the policy’s application, while others expressed disappointment about not receiving their money back directly. Nonetheless, the government maintains that the aim of the policy—to ease financial stress on first-year students—remains intact.
This development is seen as a practical solution in the face of challenges that could arise from physically refunding thousands of students across various public universities. The Ministry of Education has urged students to remain calm, assuring them that no one will lose out under the new implementation structure. With many students already preparing for their next academic year, the reassurance that fees will be covered offers some relief, even if the form of support has changed.
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