Joyce Mogtari Bawah, Special Aide to the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama, has explained that the NDC’s “No Fee Stress” (NFS) policy is designed to alleviate the financial burden of admission fees for students who qualify and gain admission into public tertiary institutions.
Joyce Bawah indicated that the policy aims to ensure that these students can enroll without facing immediate financial stress, allowing them to focus on their academic pursuits.
She emphasized that the “No Fee Stress” policy reflects the NDC’s dedication to empowering and developing the youth, which is essential for achieving national growth and prosperity.
“Because admission fees have deprived many a Ghanaian the opportunity to enroll at the tertiary level, especially as their student loans take time to be processed”.
“We in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) believe that allocating 275 million cedis to support first-year students is both achievable and within our financial capacity”.
Joyce Mogtari Bawah
Bawah further emphasized that the policy also caters to second-year students who may continue to experience financial challenges, highlighting the NDC’s commitment to providing sustained support to students throughout their academic journey.
She explained that these students will be enrolled in the SLTF+ (Student Loans Trust Fund Plus) program, which provides need-based loans to ensure equity and equal access to education, thereby supporting those who genuinely require financial assistance.
Madam Bawah emphasized that the “No Fee Stress” policy aims to increase access to tertiary education, making it easier for more students to pursue higher learning.
She indicated that by doing so, the policy seeks to expand our nation’s knowledge base, empowering future generations with the skills and expertise needed to drive progress and development.
NDC’s Youth Manifesto Leads The Way
Furthermore, George Opare Addo, National Youth Organizer of the NDC, is encouraging young people to adopt the party’s youth manifesto, which he believes contains the necessary solutions to tackle the challenges facing the youth.
According to Opare Addo, the NDC youth manifesto is a groundbreaking document that will revolutionize the lives of young people, who constitute the majority of the population, by addressing their pressing needs and concerns when the NDC assumes power.
“Over the years, our population keeps growing. The population we have currently has more young people than elderly people. If your political party is seeking to make any major interventions in your body politics, the focus will have to be mainly on young people. That’s why we have youth-centered policies separated from the main manifesto as the game-changer”.
George Opare Addo
Opare Addo further explained that the free academic tuition policy outlined in the youth manifesto is designed to support fresh undergraduate students in public universities who have already benefited from free primary and secondary education.
This initiative aims to enable these students to seamlessly transition to tertiary education and gain admission to their desired institutions without financial burden.
The NDC stalwart assured that the party has a thorough understanding of the financial implications and feasibility of the policy, having done the necessary calculations to ensure its successful implementation.
He asserted that by streamlining government machinery costs, the NDC is confident in its ability to effectively roll out the policy and make it a reality for the benefit of fresh undergraduate students.
According to Opare Addo, the number of students who gained admission to tertiary institutions exceeded 127,000, with the maximum academic tuition fee reaching GH¢2,200.
He indicated that the total cost of providing free tuition would be approximately GH¢270 million, which is less than 10% of the government’s expenditure on free Senior High School (SHS) education.
As such, he called on the public to support the NDC in the upcoming elections, ensuring that the party’s vision for youth empowerment becomes a reality and drives inclusive and sustainable development.
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