NewzThe Chief Executive Officer of the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF), Dr Saajida Shiraz, says more students have benefited from government’s student support interventions under the Mahama administration than the total number supported during the previous 20 years of the Fund’s existence. Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, September 9, she attributed the development to increased government prioritisation of tertiary education financing and the expansion of support programmes for students. “I would tell you that 20 years after the setup of the fund, it is changing lives, and exceptionally so in this last year, or under this government, because I can say that under this government, more students have benefited than the totality of the 20 years prior to this government’s coming into office.
Dr Shiraz said the Student Loan Trust Fund has significantly expanded its reach, with thousands of students benefiting from enhanced loans and other interventions. According to her, the Fund has disbursed GH¢210 million in enhanced student loans to 59,300 students this year alone. “This year, because of government prioritisation, we have met all the demands for student loans,” she said.
Dr Shiraz explained that the support goes beyond the traditional student loan scheme, with government also expanding assistance through the Student Loan Plus initiative. She said 1,997 students benefited from Student Loan Plus, including 626 students enrolled at the Ghana School of Law, whose fees were paid directly to the institution. The initiative, she noted, followed President John Mahama’s directive to extend student loan coverage to students pursuing professional legal education.
About GH¢20 million was spent on the fees of the 626 Ghana School of Law students, she disclosed. Dr Shiraz further revealed that “the Fund has spent GH¢10 million to support tertiary students with disabilities, covering tuition and residential payments.” She said government is also working on policy modalities to provide additional support, including stipends and assistive learning devices for students with disabilities. The CEO identified the no-academic-fee policy as the largest area of expenditure, with approximately GH¢916 million spent across the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic years.
She said, “about 152,000 students benefited during the first academic ye… The Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) says it has disbursed GH¢210 million in enhanced student loans to 59,300 tertiary students this year. The Chief Executive Officer of the SLTF, Dr Saajida Shiraz, said the intervention forms part of government’s efforts to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent students from accessing tertiary education.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, September 9, Dr Shiraz said the Fund has been able to meet all demands for student loans this year, following increased government prioritisation of student financial support. “This year alone, we did about 59,300 to be exact, and we disbursed GH¢210 million in student loans,” she said. She said, in addition to the traditional and enhanced student loans, the Fund has also expanded support under the Student Loan Plus initiative.
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