The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to expanding access to tertiary education through strategic interventions aimed at easing the financial burden on students.
The Minister gave the assurance when he received the Chief Executive Officer of the Students Loan Trust Fund, Dr. Saajida Shiraz, and her delegation at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in Kumasi.
The meeting focused on strengthening the operations of the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) in the Ashanti Region, improving loan accessibility, enhancing loan repayment systems, and accelerating the implementation of the Government’s flagship No Fees Stress Initiative.
The two leaders also discussed new interventions designed to broaden financial support for students pursuing professional programmes, particularly Law students and Graduate Entry Medical students, to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent qualified Ghanaians from accessing higher education.
Speaking after the meeting, Dr. Amoakohene stressed that the initiatives form part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader vision of making quality education more accessible to all.
According to him, the government’s investment in education is aimed at creating equal opportunities for young people while building a highly skilled workforce capable of driving Ghana’s socio-economic transformation.
“The No Fees Stress Initiative and the expansion of the Students Loan Trust Fund’s support demonstrate government’s unwavering commitment to removing financial barriers to higher education and investing in the future of Ghanaian youth,” he stated.
Dr. Amoakohene noted that improving the efficiency of the loan scheme and strengthening repayment mechanisms would enhance the sustainability of the fund, enabling more students to benefit from it in the years ahead.
He commended Dr. Saajida Shiraz and her team for what he described as a productive and forward-looking engagement, expressing confidence that closer collaboration between the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and the Students Loan Trust Fund would ensure the successful implementation of the government’s educational policies across the region.
The Regional Minister further pledged the support of the RCC in promoting awareness of the available financial assistance programmes to ensure that eligible students, particularly those in underserved communities, are able to access the opportunities.
For her part, Dr. Saajida Shiraz reaffirmed the Students Loan Trust Fund’s commitment to working closely with regional authorities and other stakeholders to improve service delivery and make the government’s educational support programmes more accessible to students.
The engagement is expected to strengthen the implementation of key government interventions in the Ashanti Region and further advance efforts to make tertiary education affordable and accessible for all qualified Ghanaian students.
